My Lady Wolf
by Cuna999
Summary: Mikan Sakura, no memories except those of the forest and of survival. Transferred into Alice Gakuen with a pack of 15 wolves and an unknown secret. Natsume Hyuuga, her beast tamer when she's lost control. And the secret...will unfold from lost memories...
1. Wolf Girl

**Writer's Notes: **Well, here's a new FanFic! :D My Lady Wolf was inspired by this AMV on YouTube I was watching, and for about three seconds, there was a clip of wolves running through a forest or something. And then the idea just kind of came from there…Haha. And then as I watched Spice and Wolf (an Anime/Manga), I really wanted to write this FanFic more and more. Though there won't be manga relations to Spice and Wolf.

This chapter might use a lot of cursing.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice, Spice and Wolf, or any other manga…all I own is this and my other FanFictions!

* * *

_-/__My__Lady__Wolf__/-_

* * *

**H**er waist-length, honey brown hair was sopping wet as she threw back her head, a silver fish in her left hand and another in her right hand. Her plain white dress was thrown on the ground, leaving her naked. Her hair splashed water onto the trees and the forest ground, along with a few wolves, who shook their heads to get rid of the water.

The girl's chocolate eyes glimmered with satisfaction as she threw the two fish to the wolves, who jumped and snapped at the meat. She looked away to avoid watching them eat.

A flash of silver in the stream she was standing in, and another fish in hand, to another wolf who would get its meal.

The day was beautiful. The sun was shining, and there were almost no clouds in the sky. Full-grown trees with lush green leaves swayed lazily in the wind, and younger saplings were sprouting some leaves. The streams were cool, and plenty of food was running around.

And speaking of food, a large deer was seen drinking from a stream further away.

The brunette looked at one of the fifteen wolves and nodded her head slightly.

Within seconds, the wolf was stalking its prey stealthily. And then it struck, and the deer was dead.

And no sooner, several wolves were snapping at the bloody meat. Food. Survival.

Again, the girl turned away to avoid watching them eat, she turned away as soon as the deer was dead.

The girl was already cooking some fish by the fire, and using a bow and arrow she had constructed herself, shot some other wild animals for the wolves.

Today was going to be her last day in the forest. The place she had called home for however many years she had been here. She'd lost track of time already. The date never really crossed her mind, the only thing that did was survival.

At this moment, she wrung out her hair and shook her body, like a wolf, to get rid of water, and slipped on the white dress that was previously abandoned. The dress reached a little below her knees.

And somehow, when she found herself in this forest, she formed a bond with wolves.

She was the Alpha, no wolf in the forest dare defy her.

But she considered them friends, and the wolves did, too.

The girl sighed, breathing in the forest air. How did she get here, anyway? Was she abandoned?

But she would have to leave soon…leave this forest.

But at least she wasn't going alone, because her pack of fifteen wolves would be going with her.

* * *

"Hey, hey, did you hear? That crazy rumor?"

"Which one? The one about the wolf-girl?"

"I did, I did!"

Three girls, students of the famous school Alice Academy chatted as they waited for their teacher to come and start the class.

"She's supposedly lives with wolves. Like she controls them or something."

"That's so weird! And she acts like one, too. She catches prey with the wolves. Although she does have a human mind, so she uses bows and arrows and stuff."

"I heard that she's like an Alpha Wolf, all the wolves in that forest don't dare disobey her commands."

"Whoa…"

Luna Koizumi painted her nails as her friends and fanboys crowded around her.

"What do you think of that, Luna-chan?" one guy asked.

"That's just ridiculous," Luna replied snottily, inspecting her painted-pink nails. "I don't believe it. Plus if it was true, that's disgusting."

"Of course, Luna-chan," the guy agreed.

Luna Koizumi, the school's Queen. Short, wavy, dark- blond hair and ocean- blue eyes. She was the Alpha here, the queen bitch. Her little gang of ten loyal servants at her disposal, consisting of her fanboys that she thought were worthy to kiss her shoes.

The door slid open at the moment, and an extremely handsome teenager walked in. Natsume Hyuuga, the King of Alice Academy. But he had nothing to do with the Queen.

"Ah! Natsume-kuuun!" Luna called, abandoning her fanboys and her nail polish, skipping over to Natsume. "I just painted my nails! Don't they look absolutely fabulous?" She gushed, thrusting her hand into his face.

But the teenager merely narrowed his crimson eyes and slapped her hand away.

"Don't get so close to me, bitch. I don't give a shit about nails that just add to that repulsive face of yours." He warned.

Luna smirked and put a finger to her lips.

"Awww, Natsume-kun, are you rejecting me?"

She wouldn't back down. She wanted Natsume Hyuuga.

Raven coloured hair and crimson eyes. Strong and gorgeous.

Luna Koizumi adored everything about him.

The only thing that wasn't so perfect was his personality.

Harsh and deadly. He could instantly send shivers down a girl's back with just a look.

No wonder he was part of the school's Top-three beauties.

Age 17, Natsume Hyuuga. The Number one that girls ogle at, a mere glance could make them swoon, and a light glare could make them shrink back into shadows, bringing their confidence of giving him a gift of any sort to nothing. The wild raven hair and the piercing crimson eyes, a well-built body, though a rebel, and no matter what he did, it only made him seem better and inferior.

Age 17, Ruka Nogi. His soft, blond hair that complimented his eyes perfectly, which were brilliant blue color. He lost to Natsume in 'coolness', because he was cute, rather than 'cool'. But he did not lose to Natsume in fangirls and jealous boys. Although he was a bit kinder, he was still harsh with his words.

Age 17, Hotaru Imai. Her short, raven hair and cold violet eyes. She was called the genius inventor, and a money-lover. But what she was also famous for was being so incredibly cold. She definitely matched up to Natsume in cold attitude. She was a master of blackmail, and getting what she wanted most—_information._

They were always seen together, and were called the "Velvet Roses".

They were perfect, but every rose has a thorn, and the thorn symbolized their own flaw.

…Which mostly referred to their personalities. No matter how kind they were to each other, harsh comments were given to anyone else. And some were enough to reduce a girl or guy to nothing.

The door opened again, and this time, Hotaru Imai and Ruka Nogi walked in, ignoring the commotion of Luna and Natsume in the front of the classroom, and walked to their seats.

"Why are you wasting your time, Hyuuga?" Hotaru called, taking out her books.

"It's because that girl is like a cockroach, she pops back up even if you smack her with a slipper." Ruka replied, also taking out his books.

"How dare you compare me to something repulsive like a cockroach?" Luna shrieked, pointing a finger at Ruka.

"Because you are one," Hotaru said, rolling her eyes. "If you detach your head, will you live for 10 days?"

"Bitch!"

_**SMACK!**_

For calling one of the members of Velvet Rose a bitch earned her a slap from the crimson-eyed lad.

"You shouldn't be talking_, slut." _his lips pulled back into a snarl.

He turned to walk to his seat, until the door opened yet again, but this time, and unfamiliar girl wearing a white dress and white boots.

What perfect timing, as the famous Natsume Hyuuga walked forwards, this girl crashed right into him.

_BAM!_

_CRASH!_

"Argh!"

"Kyaaaa!"

Hotaru Imai rarely smiled. But as she witnessed this scene, her lips curled upwards into an amused one.

Ruka's eyes opened wide. He was more shocked than amused. But he was partly amused anyway.

Luna was absolutely shocked too, but that shock soon turned a furious reaction.

The rest of the class also watched in shock, envy, or surprise.

And the wonderful scene that made everyone react so nicely:

Natsume Hyuuga, on the floor, back on the ground. And this girl with long, waist-length honey-brown hair on top of him.

...And their lips locked into a kiss.

Natsume was the first to notice what was happening first. And then the girl slowly got up.

"Uwaaa…that really hurt…ah, I'm sorry!...Oh dear Kami-sama…!"

The brunette was surprised too. Did she just fall and kiss him? Oh crap.

"You…! You _bitch!" _Luna screamed, grabbing the girl by her hair.

"Ah…!"

Another hand was used to choke the girl.

"How…how _dare _you kiss him! Natsume-kun belongs to me!"

Hyuuga was still on the floor, though he was sitting up. He was a bit shocked too, because believe it or not, that was his first kiss, but regained his composure.

"I don't belong to anyone," He said, standing up.

Luna ignored him.

"Who do you think you are?" she screeched. "Do you think you can just come in here and touch my things as you please?"

"Agh...ugh…!"

Luna's hand around the brunette's neck was getting tighter and tighter.

"No one's going to come and help you, girlie," she continued. "You're just going to end up in the hospital for a few years, and don't even think about showing your face here ever again!"

"S…top…!"

Tears ran down the girl's face as she tried to pry Luna's fingers off her neck. The Queen's perfectly manicured nails raised to rake across the new girl's face.

"Oi-" Natsume started, but before he could say or do anything else, the window shattered, and about six wolves landed in the room.

"AHHHH!"

Luna screamed and let go of the brunette, jumping back to avoid contact with the animals.

The wolves growled, and all of them were crouched to attack.

One jumped on top of Luna, and started to snap at her hair and clothes, messing up her hair and accessories, and whatever she wore. Velvet Rose could see that it was actually take care not to rip her skin.

The other also started to join in.

"Someone, help me!" Luna yelled, and several fanboys tried to. But the wolves snarled and tried to attack them, too.

And Luna probably would have been sent to the hospital if it weren't for that new girl.

Although her voice was gentle and quiet, everyone heard it.

"Kaede-chan, stop it. I'm fine. Let her go."

The female wolf on top of Luna snarled one last time, and retreated, sitting down next to Mikan, who was sitting on the floor, rubbing her neck and coughing.

"Kaida, Hastu, Ichiro, Ari, Jin…you too. Stop."

The other five wolves also backed away and stood next to the girl.

And the door opened a final time, and the blond-haired teacher with violet eyes stepped in, wearing a plain, baggy white shirt and jeans, with black shoes.

"I'm too late…Ahhh…I knew I shouldn't have let her go to class by herself…" he said, sighing.

Narumi-sensei, the Japanese and Homeroom teacher for this chaotic classroom, classroom B.

"And I should have known Koizumi-san would be the one to provoke her…"

"Who's the girl, Narumi?" Hotaru said, still amused.

"She's the new transfer student, Mikan Sakura." Narumi explained.

"…You can't be serious," Someone said.

"She's that crazy wolf girl, isn't she? She sent wolves to attack!" another yelled.

Narumi shook his head.

"She doesn't send for them, they come on their own free will when they sense that she's in danger. I should have told you about this beforehand…people can get severely hurt if they try to hurt her."

He glanced at Luna.

"Damn right you should've told us, you freaking teacher!" Luna spat.

Mikan narrowed her eyes, and the wolves growled. The blonde flinched at the noise.

"Eeek!"

She stood up, facing Luna directly.

"Excuse me," she said quietly. "May I have her name?"

She was directing the question to Ruka, who was sitting closest.

"L-Luna K-Koizumi…" Ruka Nogi actually stammered.

"Then, Koizumi-san," the brunette whispered quietly, "How spoiled…must you always call for someone to aid you? Such a pup…without your mother, you wouldn't survive…"

"W-What?" Luna sneered back, taken aback by the sudden change of tone.

One of the wolves, who Mikan knew as Jin, held something in its mouth. A bow and a packet of arrows.

"Narumi-sensei," Mikan called quietly. "I'm sorry to ask of this, but do you mind for me to be absent today? I'm very sorry…even though it's my first day…I believe my presence has ruined the atmosphere here…"

The teacher nodded, slightly nervous.

Bow and an arrows in hand, with the six wolves behind her, the girl-in-white walked towards the window.

"Hey! Come back here, I wasn't finished with you!" Luna screamed, reaching out.

The rest of the class expected the wolves to react for her, but instead, they merely glanced at her with their yellow, blue and gray eyes, as something whizzed past Luna's head.

"Are you finished now? I have a pack of fifteen wolves to keep in order," Mikan replied, and everyone realized what went past Luna was an arrow.

_How incredibly fast._

Luna stayed quiet, flabbergasted, speechless, and Mikan smiled, it held no mirth, only something...mysterious.

"I'll take your silence as a 'yes', then…"

With the position of a wolf, she leaped out the window, without a glance back.

The members of Velvet Rose stared at each other blankly.

Well, something wild certainly has entered the school…

Perhaps she has a secret know one knows?

* * *

~./End Chapter One/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's Ending Notes: **Whee! I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter!

Anyway, yeah…the end of "_…And that's all?" _comes from the manga, Godchild. Besides the very last chapter of the last volume, the chapters usually end with "_And that's all…?" _And I felt like I needed something, so…yeah…I don't own Godchild either!

Anyways, yeah. This idea was pretty random…-.-;; So it's going to be a little odd.

I did do a little research about wolves, and Mikan has a very big pack. Usually, there are about 6 or 7 wolves, but some packs do have as many as 15 wolves. A big pack, ne? :sweatdrop:

Soo…yeah. I'm trying to vary my swears because 'bitch' is kind of overused.

…I think I curse too much.

Anyway, so I couldn't help myself from uploading this…it's been in my folder for a while…

Ahahahaha…


	2. Control

**Writer's Notes: **So…**-kadraven- **was wondering where Sumire was…since this is my first time having Mikan and Hotaru not know each other…

Well, you'll see…

* * *

_-/__My__Lady__Wolf__/-_

* * *

**M**ikan sat outside, her thin body on top of a large boulder.

She had found one of the school's many surrounding forests, the Northern one to be precise, to her liking.

Her pack of fifteen wolves surrounded her, whining hungrily.

The brunette sighed, readying her bow and arrow.

"Do you really want to be here while I feed them?" She said out loud, aiming at the sky.

The three members of Velvet Rose stepped out from behind a tree.

"We'd like to know how you eat." Hotaru said flatly.

Mikan stared at them and put her bow down. The wolves growled lightly at the three new faces, their ears flattened against their head, showing defense.

"I don't eat meat raw, if that's what you're thinking. Fish and wild plants are sufficient enough for me."

The brunette quieted the wolves and shot a large deer pretty far away. The pack ran to where the deer lay.

Lunch time.

Mikan looked away; although the members of Velvet Rose watched the animals eat the bloody, raw meat.

"It's rude to stare while someone is eating," she pointed out, and they all snapped their attention back to her. Her eyes were closed.

"Why did you come here?" Natsume snapped, his voice slightly harsh.

"I did not have a choice. This school is for Alices, no? We are protected here, 15 wolves and a single human who can barely control her Alice can only do so much to protect themselves in a large forest against an army with guns."

She opened her eyes again.

"And although civilization would be easier for me to keep back my other self, I believe I am not wanted here. My presence had obviously ruined the peace in the room."

Mikan smiled, slightly surprising the Velvet Roses, before speaking again.

"I suppose you three should return. Rumors may fly is they see you with 'the crazy wolf girl'. Or rather, I would not like to be attacked by your fans, asking me what relationship I have with you three. I would prefer to be alone with the serenity of the forest."

She slid off the boulder, standing now. She bowed and smiled again before taking her bow and walking deeper into the forest.

"I would also appreciate if you do not send animals here to spy, Nogi-san. The wolves do live off of meat…"

She disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

Ruka exhaled and Hotaru smiled again in amusement.

"…She's interesting."

* * *

So now, Mikan lived in the forest.

She refused to live in the dorms, as she preferred the outdoor serenity.

There was an old, abandoned house in the middle of the forest. It was small, but enough for one person. There was a small kitchen and a cupboard, and a table with five chairs, and a ladder to another level, where a bed had been laid out. Everything was a bit crowded together, but not enough to feel claustrophobic.

After some sweeping, dusting, and other types of cleaning, the small house was in very good shape. The brunette had gotten a lot of necessities from Narumi-sensei, like teacups and pots, as well as food.

He knew one secret that no one else knew…yet.

Mikan was outside again, eating a bowl of strawberries on top of the large boulder.

It was getting darker now, the sun fading slowly.

She poked the berries with a fork.

Just because she lived in the forests practically all her life, she wasn't a _beast. _The way she ate and everything was of a normal human.

…

Everything about her was pretty much normal, aside from the wolves…

Except for one thing.

Mikan sighed.

"Are you sure you should be here?" She asked, popping a strawberry into her mouth.

"You're living outside? You have something no one else knows, don't you? Everyone besides Naru. That's why you're not in the dorms."

"You're good, Hyuuga-san. But why are you so interested? I said before, I'd rather not be attacked by fangirls."

Natsume leaned against the boulder she was sitting on, so that he was next to her.

"I've made sure that won't happen."

"Ah, so people have already attempted to mob me? It's only my first day here. When I finally attend class tomorrow, I believe I'm going to be hated very much."

More berries into the mouth.

"…By the way, where are the wolves?"

"Changing the subject? They're out hunting."

The brunette ate the last strawberry, sliding off the boulder.

"…Well then, I will take my leave here."

She started walking, before turning, her eyes slightly frightened.

"Um…I would like to warn you. Blood should be kept away from me. There's…really nothing that…can stop a wild beast that's lost control. "

The brunette disappeared into her small house, leaving the crimson-eyed fire-caster bewildered.

* * *

**Next Day, Class B**

"Well then, I believe everyone should remember her. This is Mikan Sakura, the new transfer student."

The brunette bowed in her white dress and boots, her honey-brown hair tied into low pigtails with white ribbons.

"…I can't say I'm too pleased to meet you."

"…likewise," someone mumbled quietly.

Mikan smiled mysteriously.

"You're seat is beside Natsume Hyuuga-kun. Raise your hand."

"No need, Narumi-sensei. We've already met."

Natsume nodded slightly as Mikan nodded back, making her way to her seat next to him.

Ruka's eyes widened slightly. Natsume never made any sort of gesture towards girls. He glanced at Hotaru, who also noticed this.

She was really smiling more than usually these days. Not that she smiled at all before all of this.

She was definitely very, very amused.

**After School…**

Mikan was back in the woods, standing in a pond of water, spinning around. Her dress flared out around her. She had let her hair down, and her arms were spread out, her eyes closed.

The wolves were resting close by, a few wagging their tails, their ears pointing straight down, tails drooped at different levels, also showing their level of relaxation.

The brunette smiled. Today was pretty warm, the water felt good on a few blisters she had gotten from the forest, from running so much.

She had sat out from gym today, because she didn't feel like running, but she could have easily outrun Luna Koizumi, who had gotten the fastest time. Perhaps she would run tomorrow.

"…What do you want?"

He voice turned hostile and unfriendly, the wolves standing, ears erect, their lips curled back into a growl, displaying their incisors. Their fur bristled slightly, backs also slightly arched.

"…"

The familiar, smirking face of Luna Koizumi appeared from behind a tree. She wasn't alone; three other guys came with her.

Carrying…silver metal…bats?

Mikan's eyes narrowed, eyeing the weapons.

"What are you up to?"

"Oh, nothing…just…testing!"

One of them had caught her slightly off guard, while she blocked a bat coming from the front.

She grimaced, the hard metal against her bare, thin arm.

"!"

_Krrsh!_

Mikan felt the impact, a bat upon her _head. _

Luna laughed.

"What's wrong, wolf girl? Scared of _blood?" _

_It's not that…Oh, God…someone, stop me…_

* * *

"…?"

From the room inside, the classroom still held three people.

Natsume Hyuuga, Ruka Nogi, and Hotaru Imai.

"…Something's really noisy…" Ruka mumbled, looking out the window. "…Sakura Mikan? And…Koizumi Luna?"

Natsume, on instinct somehow, jerked his head towards the window.

She was on the ground, but she was too far away to tell anything else.

Hotaru, her special binoculars to her eyes, examined the situation.

"…Luna, three of her slaves with bats. Sakura Mikan on the ground, bleeding."

…Bleeding?

"_Um…I would like to warn you. Blood should be kept away from me. There's…really nothing that…can stop a wild beast that's lost control. "_

"…Crap."

* * *

Luna laughed, as Mikan stared at her fingers, covered in the red liquid. Her head was bleeding, and her hair was getting blood on it, not to mention her white dress getting stained.

The pond was now also turning a pinkish color.

"What's wrong? _Scared of a little blood?"_

_It's not that I'm scared…please, oh God, it's breaking…my control…_

"Ah…"

One of the guys smirked.

"I think she's crying, Luna-chan…"

"…_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

Like when Luna first met Mikan, the brunette's finger's closed around the guy's neck. She was applying more and more strength, until another guy as finally brave enough to save his friend.

_Useless._

Like she was a different person, Mikan punched the second guy in the face, and the third guy (trying to save his friends, too) in the stomach. He coughed out blood, holding his hand to his neck.

"…Loki? Kei? Kaoru?" Luna called angrily. She seemed completely unfazed with the damage the girl had caused to the guys. She really thought they were easily disposable.

Mikan smirked, attacking the three guys, until blood was leaking out in pretty large amounts.

They weren't dead, but critically injured.

The fifteen wolves backed away, their ears flattened against their head and his tails between their legs. They were _scared._

"Holy…!" Ruka spluttered, seeing the rose-colored blood leaking everywhere, as him, Hotaru and Natsume arrived at the scene.

Even Hotaru grimaced slightly.

"…" Natsume kept his cool, saying nothing. So this is what she meant?

She was like a _wild beast. _

Mikan stood in the middle of the three bodies, covered in blood, her faced twisted into a…smile, her hands grabbing the shirt of Loki.

She looked at the three faces of Velvet Rose, then at Luna, and lunged.

"! S-Stop! Don't come near me!" Luna shrieked.

Natsume, although not caring about Luna, remembered the expression from when they were at the boulder.

It was a _frightened_ expression.

He had to stop her. She would regret it afterwards.

Why did he feel so compelled to help her anyway?

But nonetheless, using his speed, he managed to get in between both girls, Mikan's teeth clamping around his arm.

_She was going to bite Luna like a piece of meat._

The fire-caster winced, the pain was more than he had imagined.

"Oi, Sakura. You can stop. Even the wolves are scared."

No reaction from the brunette. She bit down harder, but Natsume fought and kept his nonchalant expression.

"Sakura!"

And now Mikan was startled, staring into the crimson eyes. Slowly, she released him of her teeth, her eyes closing, and falling gently onto the blood-smeared ground, unconscious. About six wolves neared the girl, pushing her gently with their noses, whimpering a little.

Natsume examined the teeth wound Mikan had left him with. It was bleeding, but it was something that could be bandaged and be perfectly fine.

"Ruka. Send those three to the emergency room or something."

The blond-haired boy nodded, whistling for three large eagles to pick them up gently. He rode on another one and disappeared behind the trees.

Hotaru sighed. So she would have to clean up this mess? She'd just send her inventions.

She walked out of the Northern Forest, the sky now an orange, the sun slowly disappearing.

"Natsume-kun!" Luna squealed, glomping the ruby-eyed boy.

"I'm so glad you came to save me! She was attacking me and-"

Natsume pushed her away harshly.

"Shut up, you little bitch. Ever tried getting the whole story before you pounce?"

"Natsume-kun, don't be harsh!" Luna clammed onto his arm.

"…" The brunette's eyes fluttered open slowly, as rose into a sitting position before speaking.

"…A wild beast. I'm grateful that you managed to stop me." She said quietly.

"You're just some warped little freak!" Luna yelled, still holding on to Natsume's arm. "You shouldn't even be alive!"

Mikan didn't look the least bit hurt. She stood up, her white dress stained with red, and bowed her head to Natsume.

"…I am what I am; and nothing can change that. I apologize for the trouble I've caused. It would be best for you both to leave now."

"No ways in hell are we coming back!" Luna snapped. "Right, Natsume-kun?"

He looked at Luna in disgust, while she still had a firm grip in his arm. She towed him away, dragging him to the exit/entrance of the Northern Forest.

Natsume glanced back, the brunette now watching them leave. She caught his eyes, and bowed.

"…"

She mouthed something, and forced a smile.

Her wolves gathered around her again, their eyes worried for her as Luna and Natsume returned back to the school.

Mikan smiled and patted their heads gently, burying her face in the soft fur of Kaede, the one who had attacked Luna on her very first day.

Kaede whined lightly, pushing her nose against Mikan's head, to check if she was alright. But she stopped short, and lay down, as the other wolves relaxed, too.

Their master was sleeping.

_For now, master, let out your feelings, just…sleep._

* * *

The sky was jus turning a dark blackish-blue, the stars twinkling and the moon giving off a white glow. Lights had been turned off, and a few crickets chirped. Birds nestled in their nests and fireflies gave off flickers of yellow light.

Mikan finally looked up her eyes glistening with tears. Why was she crying?

_Master, please feel better._

_That's right master! But, to let out your emotions is a good thing also._

_Let's forget about it and play, Master!_

The brunette smiled. Perhaps she was just imagining the voices, but…

"Thank you."

And she let a mournful howl tear from her throat, fifteen wolves joining her.

"_And…to never return."_

* * *

~./End Chapter Two/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's End Notes: **Sumire didn't appear in this chapter, but she will the in next. :D (Yay?)

"And…to never return." Was what Mikan mouthed to Natsume while Luna dragged him out of the forest.

So, yesh. As some of you already now, Mikan being scared of blood and reacting that was comes from a (really cute) manga, **Beast Master. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beast Master!**

I put the disclaimer at the end because I didn't want to spoil this chapter. XP

It isn't entirely based on **Beast Master**, just the way Mikan goes berserk over blood like Leo. Or Reo. What's his name? Isn't it Leo?

Anyway, yeah. I'm trying to keep **My Lady Wolf** chapters pretty detailed, hopefully I'm succeeding. Sorta kinda ish.


	3. Identity

**Writer's Notes: **Yay! It's chapter three!

Ah, and Mikan & co. are in high school. Everyone's 15, with exceptions.

* * *

_-/__My__Lady__Wolf__/-_

* * *

"**H**ey…look. It's Mikan Sakura."

"The one who attacked Luna-chan?"

"She's such a freak…"

Mikan closed her eyes as she walked through the groups of people.

She could hear the whispers, the insults, the jeers.

Her face showed nothing.

As she opened the door to the classroom, all the chattering stopped, and the insults started again.

"I can't believe she attacked Luna-chan!"

"She's a total wild animal; I don't know why the Headmaster even let her in."

"Hey, freak," Luna said smugly, slamming one hand onto Mikan's desk as she sat. "What do you think of the rumors?"

The brunette stared at the blond-haired girl, her eyes similar to Hotaru's-emotionless.

"I've told you before, haven't I? I am what I am, and nothing can change that."

Natsume glanced at Mikan before going back to his manga, listening to the conversation.

"Just make sure you stay away from my Natsume-kun," Luna growled, and then smiled. A confident expression.

"Will you ever listen? I already said it would be best for you to never return to the forest. In case that we too subtle, I meant that it would be best if we stayed away from each other," Mikan said simply, flipping through the pages of a thick book. "If you please, could you leave me alone now? I believe everything has been made clear."

Luna narrowed her eyes, but walked away without another word.

"Na-stu-me-kuuuuun!" She sang, now flinging herself at the fire-caster.

He paid no attention, of course, dodging as Luna, who, unlike most girls, caught herself in a perfect flip.

"Wow! Did you see that?" One girl asked her friend, who nodded.

"Luna-chan is the best after all!

The door slid open, as the blond-haired teacher came in.

"Alright, everyone!" Narumi said, clapping his hands for attention. "We have two new students today! Well…one isn't exactly new…it's kind of hard to explain, but, please be kind to them!"

And again the door slid open, two girls walking into the room.

One was a taller, older girl, dressed in the yellow high-school uniform. She had very long, seaweed-green-colored hair which was curled, matching her green eyes. She was very pretty, somehow reminding everyone of a cat.

The other girl was shorter, and younger, her medium-length blue-grey hair also slightly curled, with pale blue eyes. She wore the regular blue middle school uniform.

"K-Konnichiwa, minna-san…" the younger girl said timidly. "My name is Nobara Ibaragi. I have the Ice Alice, although I can't control it very well…p-pleased to meet you!"

Luna scoffed, a disapproving look on her face. This girl was way too timid. And 'pleased to meet you'? No one said that these days. But, several guys thought she was pretty adorable.

"Sumire Shouda, I'm older than you guys, 17, a junior in Alice Academy's High School Division. I've been away a lot, so I'm just here to meet someone." the older girl said, smiling.

She got more of a reaction, several guys with hearts in their eyes.

Luna examined this older girl, and then nodded in approval. She decided she liked Sumire Shoda, and walked forwards.

"Sumire Shoda, I'm pleased that you came to Class B just to meet me—"

But the green haired girl just stared at her weirdly.

"…Who the hell are you?"

Sumire turned to face the brunette 'wolf-girl', as every pair of eyes, including Velvet Rose members, followed.

No one ever rejected Luna Koizumi.

"And? Aren't you going to say 'Hi', Mikan?" Sumire said, hands on her hips.

Mikan continued flipping pages of her book, speaking without looking up.

"Well, you're just going to attack me, aren't you? Why can't you make the first move for once?"

The book was shut closed softly, as the chocolate orbs met emerald ones.

"You're the same as usual. Have you ever noticed it's _always_ me making the first move?" Sumire sighed, before shooting forwards, launching a fist at Mikan, who caught it effortlessly, and throwing the older girl across the room.

Exactly like a cat, she landed perfectly, whilst Mikan was now in front of the girl, her foot just missing Sumire's head. She grabbed the brunette's foot, to slam her onto the ground, but Mikan merely did a backwards flip and freed herself of Sumire's hands.

"Hmmm? You seriously haven't changed. But guess what? You know why I brought Nobara with me to America?"

"You mean forced," Mikan corrected. "Nobara was against going to America. You just didn't want to go alone." She crossed her arms.

"Ano…" Nobara mumbled shyly, holding out hands.

The room was colder now, clear, shiny ice forming on the floor, covering it.

Sumire smirked triumphantly.

"Sumire-nee, you need to remember I live with wolves. And if I remember correctly, you can't skate."

"Ah-ah-ah, you missed a lot in America, Mikan-chan."

Mikan sighed as the older girl threw her a pair of white skates.

"You're kidding. People are getting cold."

"They'll live."

Within seconds, the skates were on, the two girls gliding gracefully across the ice.

"This is incredibly stupid, Sumire." Mikan told the junior.

"I have Nobara on my side. You wanna call a wolf, that's fine by me."

The brunette sighed again, opening the window and whistling loudly, calling.

"Kaede-chan!"

The same wolf that had attacked Luna the first day, a female with a light-gray coat, immediately jumped through the window, scaring a few students.

"Oh, god, not this again…" someone complained.

"See? You're making me cause a disturbance, not to mention you're causing everything," Mikan told Sumire. "And there's not enough space. Now get out of my classroom and stop forcing Nobara to do things with you."

Sumire played with her hair, pretending to not have heard a word Mikan said.

The brunette sighed, before whistling to Kaede and jumping into the air.

Sumire smirked before also jumping into the air, above Mikan.

"Sumire-nee, you're lucky I'm nice enough to not jam the blades into your face!"

The brunette flipping in the air, as she used to knee to hit the green-haired girl in the stomach.

Kaede safely caught the older girl as she fell while Mikan landed on the ice gracefully.

"…How come your trip to America didn't help?" the brunette said, smirking a little, as the rest of the class watched, stunned.

"Shut up. I'm going back to class."

"About time," Mikan muttered. She glanced at the wolf and nodded, before Kaede took of to bring Sumire back.

"Nobara-chan, mind getting rid of the ice?"

The gray-blue haired girl nodded, closing her eyes as the ice disappeared.

Mikan took off her skates, sliding her feet into her regular white boots.

She was the only one who didn't wear the school's uniform.

"Sumire wasted my time….how was America this time, Nobara?"

"Well…um…it….wasn't too bad….I suppose." The girl stammered.

"That bad, huh?"

No one else said anything—they were still too stunned by the girl's performance.

"Well?" Mikan said, holding out her arms.

Nobara smiled before crashing into the other girl, into an embrace.

"Mikan-chan! I'm so glad I got to see you again!" she bawled, out of happiness. "…And Sumire's…kind of scary…!"

"Ahahaha…" the brunette laughed nervously before patting the girl on the head. "…I'll train you later, 'kay? Tanpopo's going to happy to see you. She's gotten pretty big, so you might not recognize her…but she does have an unusual coloring, so…"

"…Mmmm…"

The class finally regained composure, while someone mumbled,

"What the hell was that?"

* * *

"NOBARA-CHAN! Come play with us!"

"You're so cute!"

"Hey, show us more of your Alice!"

The class was crowding around the new girl, showering her with nice comments.

"Nobara, I'll see you later, okay? You can take the time to get used to the place," Mikan told her friend, walking out the door.

"Ah…Mikan-chan…" Nobara trailed off.

"Don't worry about her, Nobara-chan. You shouldn't hang out with her…she's a freak, anyway."

"Yeah! Someone as cute as Nobara-chan shouldn't be with people like her."

"…"

The pale blue eyes girl's eyes closed for a split second, and once they were open, her personality was totally different.

"Shut up dumbasses! You're lucky that Nobara let me out! Mikan and I have been friends for a long time, so don't talk trash about her, idiots!"

"…"

The girls and guys that were talking to her stood there in silence.

"Oh!"

Sumire popped in, as everyone turned to her.

"The Ice Lady came out?"

"Oh, It's Baka Sumire," Nobara said, sighing. "Where the hell is Mikan?"

"Eh? She's outside. We supposed to start are training now."

"Look at this…you dumbasses held me up…"

Sumire sighed, before whacking Nobara on the head, hard, saying, "All right! Time for the Ice Lady to disappear for a while!"

The younger girl's eyes closed again, before opening them and looking around, slightly confused.

"…Ah…gomen, I just…" she mumbled.

The emerald-eyed girl grabbed Nobara's hand, pulling her to the door.

"Alright! Let's go!"

The class watched in silence.

* * *

Mikan was perched on top of the boulder yet again, and it became her permanent spot.

"_Wasuretai demo wasurenai_

_Konna omoi wo nanto yobu no kai__…"_

"…Mikan-chan?" Nobara said quietly, approaching the brunette.

"Nobara-chan! Ah, Sumire's here too…"

"What do you mean, 'too'?"

Mikan sighed yet again, before turning to Nobara.

"Are you ready?"

"Uhm, if it's not too much trouble, a….song….?"

Mikan smiled and nodded, as ice encased the ground, the wolves backing away.

Sumire handed the blue-grey eyed girl a pair of white skates, as Nobara glided over the ice without effort.

"Okay…well, first let's try this," Mikan suggested, as millions of button-sized water droplets appeared everywhere over the ice.

"Try turning them to ice…blindfolded, of course." The brunette told Nobara, as Sumire smiled and tossed Nobara a blindfold, which she tied on.

"Ready?" Sumire called, as Nobara posed, like she was reaching for the droplets.

Velvet Rose, although Mikan had said not to come back anymore, was hiding behind trees.

"…Hey…did we ever find out what kind of Alice Sakura had?" Ruka asked Hotaru, staring at the brunette.

"…No. Her information is pretty concealed..."

"Four minutes," Mikan called to Nobara. "You'll have to try your hardest."

"And…..start!" Sumire shouted.

_"Yoru no machi wa shizuka de fukai umi no you_

_tsudzuku michi ni tada ATASHI hitori dake_

_tooi koe o tayori ni aruite yuku no_

_zutto sagashiteru sotto hikaru aoi hikari…"_

About half of the water droplets turned to ice already, falling onto the iced ground with soft _'plinks'. _

_"Nee ATASHI o mitsukete_

_soshite yonde KOKORO de_

_donna ni hanareta toshite mo kikoeru kara…"_

Nobara was breathing pretty hard now, her speed of turning the water droplets into ice decreasing.

_"Gin no akari ga tomaru sorezore no heya_

_kitto doko ka niha iru to negai nagara aruku…"_

About fifty droplets were left now, but time was running out.

_"Nee ANATA o mitsukete_

_soshite nido to wasurezu_

_donna ni mune ga itakutemo soba ni iru no_

_tsunaida te o_

_hanasanai kara…"_

Twenty-four droplets left…

_"Nee ATASHI ga ANATA o mitsukete_

_soshite nido to wasurezu_

_donna ni mune ga itakutemo soba ni iru no_

_zutto_

_zutto…"_

"Done!" Sumire shouted, Nobara collapsing onto the ground, panting.

Six water droplets were still suspended into the air.

"Not bad," Mikan said, smiling, sliding her way over to Nobara. "But we've got to keep doing this until you get all of them."

"Mou! Mikan-chan, you're better at this…" Nobara said, wiping her sweat on a towel Sumire have brought for her.

"Oh, that reminds me. Why don't you show us a little show?" The emerald-eyed girl suggested.

"No."

"Oh, come on! You haven't seen us in a while!"

"That was your fault for going to America."

"…Ano…I would really like to see Mikan's performance…" Nobara mumbled quietly.

The brunette sighed. She couldn't fight against Nobara.

"Fine, fine. I'm not in a good mood, so don't expect it to be anything special."

Sumire threw a pair of skates at Mikan, who caught them and slid them on. Nobara thickened the ice as and climbed onto the boulder.

As Mikan posed, her formation the same as Nobara, and the frozen ice buttons turning to liquid again.

The brunette looked irritated as she spun on the ice, light reflecting off of the droplets, creating a rainbow. She did a triple lutz, followed by a double-toe loop, and finally a spiral, skating back to the middle of the ice. She was still irritated, and then everything with ice was lit in flames.

"Natsume! What did you do?" Ruka practically screamed.

"I never activated my Alice, Ruka!" Natsume snapped.

Ruka stared at the fire, shocked that Nobara and Sumire watched without doing anything.

"But that was so short!" Sumire called, as the flames disappeared, the brunette walked out, unharmed.

"Shut up. I'm not particularly in a good mood…"

The girl turned to the trees,

"After being spied on."

"Enjoyed the show?" Sumire smirked.

The three members stepped out, busted.

"You're a multi-Alice user, aren't you?" Hotaru said immediately, as Mikan tilted her head and smirked.

"Oh my, did I forget to use the right word last time? 'A single human who can barely control her Alice'…I should have said 'a single human who can barely control her_** Alices**_, no?"

Natsume narrowed his eyes.

"…Who are you?"

And the brunette froze, the wind creating a silence between the six students.

"…That's right...who am I?"

* * *

~./End Chapter Three/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's End Notes: **Wooooow. This took me forever to write. I have no clue why.

This chapter is just basically the introduction of Sumire and Nobara. Nobara Ibaragi is a manga-only character, so if you haven't read the manga, you won't know her. She has a split personality, which Persona brings out for missions. Otherwise, she's a very good-natured shy character who really likes being friends with Mikan.

Sumire's a good person here, although she still competes with Mikan a little.

This chapter was a little random with all the ice skating stuff. I don't ice skate much, so sorry if I typed something wrong. XP I can only skate in a straight line, lol.

Ummm…yeah. I kind of got slightly flustered with this chapter…the ending didn't turn out how I wanted it to, but I'm not sure how to re-word it…D:

I kind of messed up Mikan's mysterious personality a little, mixing it with the defiant ones like in **Love is Just Plain Hell. **(Which I will update soon)

At the end, it's not like Mikan forgot who she is, but she never had any memories except the wolves, remember? Why she knows Nobara and Sumire will come later.

The lines "_Wasuretai demo wasurenai/Konna omoi wo nanto yobu no kai__…" _are from the song "Order Made" by RADWIMPS. The song Mikan sings for Nobara is "Ningyo Hime" by Rie Tanaka.


	4. Time Sealed in Ice

**Writer's Notes: **Yosh! It's chapter four!

* * *

_-/__MyLadyWolf__/-_

* * *

**A**n awkward silence fell over the group.

No one said a word for a while. The wolves stared into the distance. A light breeze swept over the forest, rustling the trees' leaves lightly.

"…"

"…Well? I thought I said that you should never return here?" Mikan finally said, breaking the silence. "Your little girlfriend will get mad, you know."

Natsume raised an eyebrow casually.

"Who said I would listen? I do what I want. If I feel like coming back I will. And she's not my girlfriend. Who gives a shit of what she thinks?"

The brunette sighed, and motioned to Nobara.

"Come on, let's resume training…"

"Sakura…mind if we watch?"

Hotaru's voice contained some sort of unknown emotion.

"If Nobara doesn't mind…" Mikan told her.

Hotaru turned to the timid girl, who shook her head.

"I-I don't m-mind…"

Mikan sighed, and motioned to Sumire.

The emerald-eyed girl tossed the three Velvet Rose members thick fur-lined coats, gloves, scarves and woolen hats.

"Are you crazy? It's the middle of spring! It already really warm outside!" Ruka argued.

"Excuse me?" Sumire snorted. "I think you'll see why you'll need them. Even Hyuuga will be a little cold."

The fire-caster raised his eyebrow again.

He had the Alice of fire; so naturally, he could withstand the cold a bit better than others.

"Hurry up…" Mikan called, and the three members Velvet Rose members slid on the clothes.

Ruka shivered as they walked deeper into the Northern Forest.

"Is Ibaragi-san using her Ice Alice?" Ruka whispered to Hotaru.

"They both are. Ibaragi and Sakura. Both are at their maximum power."

"By the way, Shouda-san, why aren't you, Sakura-san and Ibaragi-san not wearing any extra clothing?"

The older girl crossed her arms and smiled.

"Well…we're… a bit different."

Ruka titled his head.

"Well, you know Mikan lives with wolves. They spent the winter together in the forests, before she was transferred here. So she's pretty durable now. As for Nobara and I, and why we know Mikan…you'll…you'll find that out later. For now…"

As they all stopped walking, they could see a large clearing in the middle of the Northern Forest.

And it was covered in ice.

It was like some sort of display, or fairy tale.

The trees were frozen, the ice forming a thin layer around it, making it seem slightly blue. Icicles hung firmly from the branches. Of course, the ground was layered thickly with smooth, bluish ice, also. Stones and rocks were like the trees, a thin layer of ice encasing it.

But what was a bit different was that time seemed to have been messed up.

In the fall, the leaves started to drift towards the ground. But here, the falling leaves stayed suspended into the air, encased in a thin layer of ice, too.

But some trees were without any leaves, bare and naked like in the winter. But others had a few flowers, like in the summer, or just a full leaf-filled tree as in the summer, or just a few leaves, but not yet bare trees as in the autumn. Everything was trapped in the sparkling ice, and it seemed time had been too.

Nobara and Sumire smiled sadly.

"It's been a long time…" Nobara whispered, closing her eyes.

The brunette skates slowly towards the middle of the ice-encased clearing, her eyes closed.

"What's she doing…?" Ruka whispered to Sumire.

"Occasionally, Nobara and Mikan will come here to skate, since the area is so big. This place isn't normal, though…you'll see why soon enough."

Mikan opened her eyes, reaching into the air, like how she and Nobara posed to skate.

"It's been a while…Kurayami-chan…" She whispered.

For a few minutes, nothing happened. Time was still here, not even the wind blew.

But as Mikan waited, still in her pose like a statue, a light breeze fluttered over the icy land.

It became like a white stream of fog, swirling in front of Mikan, forming and shaping into something.

"…" The three members of Velvet Rose watched in amazement.

Mikan smiled as a girl, slightly older than everyone, formed in front of her.

She was only a bluish hue so similar to the color of ice, yet she stood out.

Long, flowing hair and big, round eyes like a doll's. Slender legs and arms, lips like an angel's, and perfect curves. She wore a flowing dress similar to Mikan's everyday white dress, and she wore no shoes.

The girl also smiled at the sight of Mikan, floating down to hug her. She then floated to Sumire and Nobara, hugging them also.

No one said a word.

The girl, whose name was apparently Kurayami, as called by Mikan, tilted her head to one said, looking at the three Velvet Rose members.

"They're classmates of mine, Kuryami-chan…" The brunette explained, gesturing to all three members.

"Hotaru Imai…"

"Natsume Hyuuga…"

"And Ruka Nogi…"

All three nodded, still slightly shocked.

"And Velvet Rose, this is my deceased friend, Kurayami. This is her spirit, so she can't talk."

"…Nice…to meet you…?" Ruka stuttered, unsure of what to say.

Kurayami bowed and smiled pleasantly.

"When she was alive, we think she had the time and ice Alice," Sumire explained. "When she died, her Alice probably caused the space here to freeze, and the time to mess up. It won't stay forever, though, so when we do come here on occasions, Mikan and Nobara use their Ice Alice to keep everything frozen. Otherwise, this space will be pretty distorted and a whole bunch of problems with occur."

"We're not sure why she's in the Northern Forest, but we can only assume she went to this Academy." Nobara added in.

"How did she—" Ruka began, but Sumire slammed her palm over his mouth, preventing him from speaking.

"Say, Mikan, why don't you continue your training? I just forgot something I wanted to ask Velvet Rose here…"

The brunette didn't notice Ruka trying to speak, and neither did Nobara or Kurayami, so she just nodded and motioned for Nobara to step on the ice.

The emerald-eyed girl dragged Ruka farther away from the ice-encased clearing, Hotaru and Natsume following.

Sumire finally uncovered the blue-eyed boy's mouth, towering over him.

"Alright. First things first." She said firmly.

"No one knows how Kurayami died. Remember how I told you Mikan doesn't remember anything besides the forest? Kurayami was the first friend she made."

"…What does that have to do with why I shouldn't ask?" Ruka replied.

"We don't even know why Kurayami is here. She should be in Heaven or something. But, if you remind her of how she died, she starts going crazy, and all sorts of ice and time related phenomenon start happening. It gets pretty bad, since she can stop time, fast-forward, or rewind…just like a tape."

"She can still use her Alice, even when she's dead?' Hotaru said, her eyebrow raised.

The older girl shrugged.

"The first time it happened, it was a total disaster. And that was when Mikan was alone, honestly curious about her new unusual friend. The second time, it was my fault…my curiosity got the best of me and I asked before anyone could say anything else. Kurayami must have died in an awful way to cause phenomenon like this…"

Hotaru pinched the bridge of her nose with her index and thumb.

"There's a lot of holes…do you know her last name?"

Sumire raised an eyebrow, questioning.

"Hotaru Imai is an information freak," Natsume said, leaning against a tree.

Hotaru ignored the fire-caster and stared at the green-eyed girl intently.

"Kurayami's a spirit. She can't talk. Since her name means 'darkness', she used the shadows and dark places as clues for Mikan to find out what her name was. We know nothing of her last name, who she was when she was alive…we only know her first name, and that she had the time and ice Alice. We asked, she nodded, so…"

"…"

"…"

"Speaking of which…what the deal with Sakura? She doesn't know anything from before the forest?" Ruka questioned.

Sumire crossed her arms and sighed.

"Mikan just woke up one day, in the middle of the forest, without remembering anything. She didn't have a single thing with her, and she was dressed in the same white dress and boots. I have no clue how she made a connection with wolves, though. You'll have to ask her abut her own past."

"…How does she know you and Ibaragi, if she knew nothing besides the forest?" Hotaru said.

"…"

Everything was quiet for a few minutes. Another awkward silence.

"…Nobara and I lived on the same street before everything, but we never talked or knew each other. Both our parents were rival scientists."

"…What does that have to do with anything?"

"…Nobara and I…we're runaways."

Ruka gasped lightly.

"…Why?"

The genius inventor's voice was flat, as if she already knew the answer.

Sumire smiled mysteriously.

"Ever been used as a test subject by your parents?"

"!"

Ruka's eyes bulged.

"Sumire!"

Mikan voice was heard in the background, her voice faint from the distance Sumire had made them walk.

"Coming!" The older girl called back, already heading towards the ice-encased clearing.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"How can you suddenly just wake up one day, in the middle of nowhere, without knowing anything?" Ruka blurted out once Sumire disappeared from sight.

"…"

None of the other members could answer his question.

_Mikan Sakura…_Natsume thought.

_Just who exactly are you?_

* * *

~./End Chapter Four/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's End Notes: **Hmmm…this chapter was a bit short.

I was getting kind of aggravated, thinking of what I should write, without revealing too much.

Mikan's supposed to be sort of a mysterious character here. I don't want to kill it with my carelessness of writing something that was supposed to come in later chapters.

X(

You found out a little about Mikan, and a little about Sumire and Nobara, too.

Their pasts will come in detail later.

Hopefully I'm not going to bore you too much with that sort of stuff… D:

Kurayami was also introduced. She'll play a bigger part later, along with her past and such...

Well, that concludes chapter four! :D


	5. Transformation

**Writer's Notes: **Wooow, it's be a while since I updated this. Concentrated a bit more on **Love is Just Plain Hell**…

But, anyway, here's chapter five of **My Lady Wolf**!

* * *

_-/__MyLadyWolf__/-_

* * *

**T**he sky was a mix of orange, yellows, and blues as the sun started to rise, waking the world.

Normally, people would still be sleeping, dreaming, turning in their comfortable beds. Mikan, on the other hand, was already awake to feed the wolves.

She placed her hands in the cool water of one of the many ponds in the forest, forming a cup with her hands and bringing the water to her lips.

The wolves, with their bellies full, rested lazily in the small rays of sunlight.

Mikan leaned against her signature spot; looking down at the new clothes Narumi-sensei had been kind enough to buy her. She now wore a short yellow sundress with a few ruffles and pale yellow ballet shoes.

The brunette stared at her companions.

Tanpopo, the strange golden-tinted wolf. (female)

Kaede, the reddish-tinted wolf. (female)

Kaida, the bluish gray wolf. (female)

Hatsu, the darkest gray wolf. (male)

Ichiro, the second darkest gray. (male)

Airi, the pink-tinted wolf. (female)

Jin, a normal brown colored wolf, though his fur always seemed glossier than others. (male)

Kumiko, the chestnut-brown colored wolf. (female)

Masaki, a very, very light brown, who was always sillier than others. (female)

Katana, The silver wolf, and the strongest. (male)

Shiro, the pure-white wolf. (male)

Isamu, a normal gray, but the bravest. (male)

Cho, slightly orange tinted and the kindest. (female)

Sorano, another bluish-tinted wolf, the fastest. (Male)

Sumi, a normal gray with a stripe of white on her side, and the smartest. (female)

The wolves, her friends, her everything.

She smiled as she stroked Tanpopo, who was pretty attached to Nobara.

_Nee-san!_

Her smile faded whithin seconds, replaced by an incredible headache.

_No! Nee-san!_

_Go! You must! They'll—_

_NEE-SAN!_

Shiro nuzzled his master, whining lightly.

"…"

The pain slowly subsided, and Mikan smiled weakly.

"I'm…fine…"

_...What...was that...?_

The wolves gathered closer to their master, lying down, more alert now. No one was to hurt Mikan Sakura.

The air soon filled with the chatting of students nearing the school. Mikan looked at the sky, before hopping off the boulder.

"Well, I should go now. School's starting. Have fun hunting, as usual." She told the wolves, waving a little.

Katana stared at his master's disappearing figure and then looked at the other wolves. A silent agreement seemed to pass through them.

* * *

"All right, everyone!" Narumi called, clapping his hands.

No one paid attention.

Narumi continued to talk anyways. "This may come as a shock, but today, we have fifteen visiting students."

That got everyone's attention.

"Oooohh?" Luna smirked. "What gender?"

"It's a mix. Please refrain from eating them, Koizumi-san," Narumi replied, gesturing to the door.

A few snickered, but that soon faded as the door slid open, the visiting students walked in.

They all lined up in front of the class.

"Well, care to introduce yourselves?" Narumi said, gesturing to the first person in line, a girl with long, golden hair and honey-brown eyes.

"…Tanpopo." Was all she said.

"No last name?" Someone asked, and the girl shook her head no.

The only people not paying attention were Natsume and Mikan, both looking out the window. The brunette was half-listening, the other half of her mind wondering how the wolves were doing.

The next person was a girl with short, red hair and gray eyes, introducing herself as Kaede, with no last name either.

Third was another girl with long, cerulean blue hair and gray eyes, introducing herself as Kaida.

Fourth was a male, with messy black hair and very, very dark brown eyes, calling himself Hatsu.

Fifth was another male whose name was Ichiro, with black, spiky hair and eyes about a shade or two lighter than Hatsu's.

Sixth was another girl who name was Airi, with shoulder-length pink hair and blood-red eyes.

Seventh was a male, with sleek chocolate brown hair and darker brown eyes, introducing himself as Jin.

Eighth was a girl whose name was Kumiko, with long chestnut-brown hair and darker brown eyes.

Ninth was yet another girl, calling herself Masaki, with very very light, short brown hair and hazel eyes.

Tenth was a male, Katana, with beautiful silver hair and gray eyes.

Eleventh was another male, his hair a snowy white, even though he wasn't old, and gray eyes, earning the name Shiro.

Twelfth was the male Isamu, whose hair was gray not because of age, and almost-black eyes.

Thirteenth was a quiet female, Cho, whose hair was a long, light blonde with orange streaks and brownish-orange eyes.

Fourteenth was the male Sorano, with navy-blue hair and sky-blue eyes.

And last, the fifteenth was Sumi, with short light gray (not from age) hair and white highlights.

Everyone gasped, and not because of their unusual hair color, but because of their beauty. They were like fairy-tale creatures from a book, like princesses and princes.

But what was so different was they all didn't have a last name.

And at this point, both Mikan and Natsume were interested. Natsume because they seemed interesting, and Mikan because of their names.

"What are their Alices?" Someone asked eagerly.

"…Transfomation," Narumi said slowly. He then turned to the visiting students. "So…who was the person you wanted to see?"

Tanpopo looked like she recognized Nobara, but before she could do anything, Hatsu yelled, "Master!"

All fifteen people ran to Mikan, trying to hug her.

"Ah! No fair, Shiro! Sorano, too!" Airi yelled, fighting with the two guys hugging Mikan.

As the commotion over Mikan got louder, the people in class got suspicious. Especially Luna.

Finally, Mikan stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled, a loud, clear whistle, and the fifteen people quieted down.

"…Tell me this isn't possible," were the first words she said.

"It's possible!" Masaki said cheerfully.

"Though we can't stay this way for too long," Ichiro said.

"So don't worry about feeding us Human food," Sumi added.

"Ew, that stuff tastes weird," Jin complained.

"It wasn't your fault you got nosy like a cat and tried some," Katana scolded, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, I can't believe you took some of Master's precious food!" Kaede yelled.

The brunette sighed as Jin and Kaede started arguing. She whistled again, and the two bowed their heads in shame.

"…How…?" Was all she managed.

"…Well…anyone can have an Alice, I guess," Isamu shrugged.

"...Sakura-san," Luna interrupted, cutting into the crowd around Mikan, putting on hand on Mikan's desk.

"Ooh, if it isn't the little bitch who attacked Master on her first day," Hatsu and Kaede said in unison.

Luna, oblivious to the insult, seemed flattered that Hatsu would know her. She smiled and touched his face. Well, tried to. Kaede grabbed her hand before she did so.

"Look at her," Isamu said. "And she screamed back then."

"She's the type who likes you for who you look like, not who you are," Katana said, leaning against the wall, closing his eyes.

"…If I believe, this is your fist time here?" Hotaru cut in.

Sorano smirked."…Not necessarily."

"Then…?" Ruka said, tilting his head to one side.

Kaida sighed in exasperation. "Are all human minds this narrow?"

She pointed to her head, and in a few seconds, ears popped out, along with a tail.

"Get it now?" She said, as Ruka's eyes widened.

"You're…"

"We're wolves." Hatsu confirmed.

Luna screamed, backing away from the two.

"You-you're the one…who attacked-!" She stuttered, her eyes full of hatred.

"Uh, no. That was me," Kaede said, stepping closer to the 'Queen'.

"D-Don't come any closer!" She yelled, pointing a finger at the red-haired girl.

She smiled, showing her sharp teeth, decreasing some of her transformation Alice.

"How pitiful…"

She neared Luna, who was backing away.

"Boo!" She said loudly to Luna, who shrieked.

Kaede laughed, before walking away, leaving the girl in fear, her 'friends' scrambling to help her.

"Nobara-chan!" Tanpopo was saying to Nobara, as the golden-haired girl hugged her.

"Tanpopo! You're so pretty in human form!"Nobara squealed, and the two, who were apparently familiar with each other, went off in their own little world.

"Say…" Hotaru started. "You were the first to be with Sakura when she first arrived in the forest, right?"

"…" The fifteen wolves in human form went quiet for a minute.

"…That's right…" Cho finally spoke, saying the words slowly and carefully.

"…Then shouldn't you know her past?" Hotaru said. "Care to tell?"

Mikan seemed to realize that, and turned to her companions, who squirmed and shifted uneasily.

"…Well," Sumi started, very slowly and carefully like Cho. She opened her mouth to continue, and…

"Oh, shit." Hatsu cursed, as everyone watched.

Mouths slowly formed into snouts, round eyes turned narrower, skin turned into fur. Ears and tails popped out, noses turned wet and black, hands and feet turned into paws.

"Ah…that's right…they can't stay that way for too long…" Mikan mumbled to herself. "I didn't expect such a short amount of time, though..."

About five students screamed at the sighed of so many wolves.

"...Animals having Alices is uncommon," Narumi said. "You don't see that very often. But they can't control it very well, so the more they get used to their Alice, the longer they'll be able to stay in human form."

"Hmmm…" Mikan said, taking in the information. She then turned to the wolves. "Okay, get going. I know why you followed me here, and I told you I was fine. We need to get started with class."

The wolves darted out with amazing speed, and Mikan smiled.

"…"

Hotaru stared after the retreating figures, and she couldn't help wondering.

When she had asked them about Mikan's past, they talked slowly. And carefully. Deliberate slowness, watched carefulness. It was the brunette's past, what she wanted to know, what the wolves knew and could tell her.

_..So, what was it that they didn't want her to know?_

* * *

~./End Chapter Five/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's End Notes: **This took forever to write. I mean seriously. I knew what I wanted to write and couldn't get on the computer.

Now then, I only have five minutes (literally) left before I have to go.

Just enough time to put a disclaimer:

**Disclaimer- I did not come up with the wolves-turning-into-humans idea. XxHoly TenshixX (Onee-chan!) did. You see so in her review for chapter 3. She let me use it. :D  
**

So yes. This chapter was more informal.

The wolves will be turning into humans more in the future, so, yeah. Descriptions. You can see I tried to match the wolves' regular wolf-form characteristics with their human characteristics. Kaede is reddish-tinted, thus she has red hair, etc. If you know what the Japanese means, then you'll see why I put certain characteristics for each wolf. Like Kaede means maple leaf, so she's a bit red. Not all of them are like that, though...Like Ichiro means first son, which has nothing to do with the darkest color fur. Okay, Now I'm rambling...I tend to talk really fast or type a lot when I'm in panic. (need to get off the computer before I get kicked out. xD)

Well, thus ends chapter five.


	6. Disturbance

**Writer's Notes: **Wow. It's seriously been forever since I last updated. D;

I'm so sorrryyy!

* * *

_-/__MyLadyWolf__/-_

* * *

_Tmp…tmp…tmp…_

_Huff...huff…_

_**I can't go on…**_

_Huff…huff…cough cough…_

_**How long will I last…**_

_**Before my lungs burst?**_

_Tmp…tmp…tmp…_

_Huff…huff…_

_**Someone…**_

* * *

**M**ikan Sakura fell forwards into the pond in front of her.

Instead of getting up like a normal person would, she just lay there, floating. The coolness of the water felt good against her skin that had basked in the warm sunlight, which became _too_ warm after sitting in it too long.

She stared at the sky, a clear blue.

…_Is there a reason why they don't want to tell me? _She thought.

Yesterday's scene flooded into her mind. They were too careful, as if they knew they were going to turn back.

She sighed and closed her eyes.

There was a reason, and she would not probe nor force them to tell her.

She was content, and that was what mattered now. The time they would tell her would come.

Mikan inhaled and went underwater. The pond wasn't very deep, but there was enough water to envelope her whole body.

She stood up and exhaled, the air cold against her wet face. It was refreshing.

"Master, won't you catch a cold? It's not warm enough for swimming yet." said Airi, in human form.

"Mmm, I'm coming out. Hand me that towel over there, will you?"

As Airi reached for the white towel, a flash of blue shot past her, snatching the towel resting on the rock.

"Too slow!" Sorano called, tossing the towel to the brunette.

"Thanks," Mikan called. "But Sorano, please don't tease Airi too much."

As she walked into her house to change clothes, she could hear the two wolves arguing outside.

"That wasn't fair! _I _wanted to give it to Master!" Airi was shouting.

"Well, you were to slow. Been any slower and Master could have caught a cold."

Mikan could almost _hear_ the smirk his lips were curling into.

"YOU—RRRR!"

The brunette looked out the window to see Airi morphing into her wolf form, lunging at Sorano. Fear crossed the blue-haired boy's face. As a wolf, he could handle a few attacks from Airi. As a human, he was more vulnerable to the large wolf after him.

"Airi—" Mikan shouted, but Katana came in his wolf form and knocked Airi back. Morphing into human, he lectured her in his deep voice.

"Stop getting mad over such pointless things."

Airi rose, uninjured, and glared at Sorano, who stuck out his tongue.

"And you, Sorano, don't provoke others. You should know what would happen. Not everyone can control their Alices well enough yet, so stop testing it by provoking others and getting scared when you can't transform." Katana growled.

As Sorano shrank under his voice, he answered 'yes' in a small voice.

"Now go to the rest of the pack."

The two wolves scampered off.

Mikan came out, fully dressed in a pink dress with red flats and pink ribbons in her hair.

"Thanks, Katana. They're young, but…"

Katana smiled, his eyes growing gentle.

"It'll be fine. The rest of the older ones are watching the rest of the pack. I'm going out to hunt, alright?"

Mikan smiled. "Alright. Be careful."

Katana chucked. "If I'm not, what would you do without me?"

As he began to transform, Mikan called after him.

"Katana?"

The wolf stopped in the middle of his dash and turned.

"Thanks," Mikan said, smiling.

The silver wolf barked a laugh and he seemed to smile also before disappearing into the woods.

"Mikan-chan?" a quiet voice called.

"I'm here, Nobara!"

"Class is starting soon! Hurry up!" Sumire's voice rang out.

"Alright, jeez! I'm coming!"

Quickly running to check on the wolves, she cast a look to the four oldest wolves – Hatsu, Kaede, Sumi and Shiro (Katana too, though he was hunting), and they nodded and smiled, as Mikan silently thanked them.

"MIKAN!" Sumire was yelling, and Mikan ran to where her friends were waiting.

* * *

"Jeez! You took forever!" Sumire was fuming, as they met up during their lunch period.

"Well, Airi and Sorano got into a fight. I couldn't help it," Mikan responded, munching on a peach. "And it's not like you got scolded or anything."

Sumire sighed. That was true, so no point in arguing.

Popping some rice into her mouth, she stared at Mikan with her cat-like eyes.

"…Mikan, you really need to eat more than just a fruit."

"I do. Just not at lunch time."

Staring at her two friends, Mikan's face was serious.

"And? Are you two alright?"

"Nothing has bothered me so far," Sumire said, putting down her bento.

"Me either," Nobara agreed. "Although…somehow, the Ice Lady…is really dormant…"

"Think she's just resting? Nothing's really been provoking her…"

"…Maybe…perhaps I'm just worrying too much…"

"Still, remember that my Alices…" Mikan began, before Sumire cut her off.

"We know. But seriously, you need to take care of yourself too. Even if you run with wolves, you're still just a girl."

"Sumire-nee, I'm 15. Plus you sound like a mother," the brunette laughed.

"Oh, shut up!" the emerald-eyed girl looked away, pouting. "What's wrong with caring a little?"

"She means a lot," Nobara corrected softly. "Although you know that."

"N-Nobara! Stop saying weird things!" the older girl yelled, her face tinted red.

Mikan giggled quietly, grateful for her friends.

* * *

"Stay away from our Master," Kaede growled. "All fifteen of us are more than enough, and you know it yourself."

"Oooh, scary. Guard dogs, nothing more than pups."

A flash of silver shot past what was causing a disturbance in the forest. Blood splattered to the ground, flesh in Katana's mouth as he tossed it out of sight.

"Leave now."

His eyes were angry, his lips curled back into a snarl. His ears stood erect, his fur bristling, his body crouched, ready for another attack. The message was clear; leave or die.

"Jeez…defensive, are you? I only came to check today…another day, then…but know that _you_ don't stand a chance if we get angry…"

The trees rustled, also seeming to be angry, and it disappeared.

Katana relaxed slightly, and so did the rest of the pack.

"Shit," Shiro cursed, as he morphed into human. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Why the hell…?" Cho wailed, also human now as she leaned against Mikan's favorite boulder. "Damn it..!"

"We're not going to stand a chance against them if more than one comes." Sumi said, her voice full of despair. "Shit, even though we knew this would happen…"

"We didn't expect it to be so soon!" Masaki cried, her words a desperate howl, still in her wolf form.

"…They won't attack now," Jin decided. "It's _too_ soon."

"That's right. They prefer keeping a low profile without any big attractions." Kumiko agreed.

"But still…" Airi mumbled worriedly, coming out as a whine from her wolf form.

"Ugh, we were too careless," Sorano said, banging his head against a slender tree, which shook a little due to his strength as a wolf.

"How could they find us so easily…?" Ichiro howled, his head lowered in shame.

"For now, all we can do is protect her the best we can," Isamu said, his eyes determined.

"The school will mostly likely provide help, too," Tanpopo added, the situation brightening a bit.

"Alright. Keep up your guard, never let it down. We need higher protection for Master, but don't make it suspicious. She's smart, after all, and knows us all too well." Katana commanded.

Fourteen voices howled back in agreement.

* * *

In the ice-encased clearing, Kurayami opened her eyes.

Without a voice, no one could hear. Without a voice, no one could understand, and those who could only to an extent. Without a voice, no could listen, and prevent what would eventually happen.

But perhaps…

Opening her mouth, although positive it would and could not happen, she tried to speak.

_Won't someone please…_

And without finishing, she screamed. Writhing in pain, her body twisted and turned in the air. Around her, time re-winded.

_Stop! _She screamed again, she could not bear to watch this scene. She knew perfectly where she was, what scene was playing.

No, no...

Screaming, she squeezed her eyes shut, begging, fighting to control her Alice. Her eyes were shut tight till she was sure time was the present again.

Hugging herself, she sat on the icy ground, shivering although she could not feel the cold.

She didn't want to remember. She didn't want someone to know.

Instead she kept it to herself, until the time was right.

But without a voice…

How could she possibly explain…

Without a voice?

* * *

_Even for just a second…_

_When that time comes…_

_Will someone…_

_Please lend me a voice?_

* * *

~./End Chapter Six/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's End Notes: **YES! FINALLY! After…-goes to check-

WHOA.

Like, almost three months? HOLY CRAP! –cries-

Damn…I seriously didn't update in forever. D;

I'M SO SORYYY!

-Begs for forgiveness-

B-but, I managed to get chapter six up!

Sorry if it's confusing…I'm trying to advance the plot a little, but I might be rushing it. –dies- -scolds self-

Ummm…what else?

…

I think that's all for now. xP

School's the thing keeping me from fanfiction now…(like you haven't heard that before) and when I procrastinate my homework seriously piles up before I know it. It's like you blink and there's a pile. D;

So…yes. Time to sleep…pretty tired tonight.

Good night all…

Zzzzz….


	7. Imperfection

**Writer's Notes: **My god, I suck. Seriously.

What the hell did I spend all break doing? I felt like a slept through it all or something. Jeez. I can't believe there's only three days left and I barely got anything done. Wow. Procrastination to the extreme.

And WHY is the end of all my chapters messed up? It's .four/ or something instead of .Four./ D:

* * *

_-/__MyLadyWolf__/-_

* * *

_Colors…_

_Dark eyes that draw me in…_

_Because I am one of them…_

_Is the reason I understand. _

* * *

"**O**h my god!" Mikan gasped, as she stared at the spotted, bloody ground, left over from when Katana ripped the flesh of the intruder. "What happened? Is everyone okay?"

Airi glared at Sorano, and Sorano glared back.

"Nothing happened," Airi growled. "Just a little…quarrel."

"We're fine, though," Sorano said, growling back at the she-wolf.

"They got into a little fight. There were only a few scratches, but there was a little blood. Sorry if we worried you," Masaki explained quickly.

"…" Mikan looked a little doubtful, but let it go. "Airi, Sorano, you need to calm down. If this was about the towel, it was a small matter."

"…" Airi sniffed disdainfully, but agreed with her master.

"I'm going to help out Nobara with her training," Mikan said, as she splashed some water from the nearby pond onto the stained ground. "I'll be back later, so do your usual hunting, okay?"

Kaede pawed the ground, making sure the blood was no longer visible as the dirt and water mixed into mud.

"Be careful, Master," the wolves chorused.

The brunette smiled and left the forest. As soon as she was out of sight, Airi, Sorano, and Masaki turned to look a Katana.

"Sorry, that was the best we could come up with in that short amount of time," Masaki apologized.

Katana shook his head. "No. She was doubtful, but it worked. I'm sure she didn't suspect anything too out of place."

Airi and Sorano smiled at each other, hi-fiving in human form.

* * *

"You're doing great, Nobara!" Sumire called. "Four seconds left!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"DONE!"

Nobara skated to a stop, and sat on the iced ground. She removed her blindfold and tucked her sweat-drenched hair behind her ear.

"Improving a lot," Mikan called, as she handed Nobara a towel. "Only two droplets left."

"Thanks, Mikan-chan," the shy girl mumbled, wiping her sweat.

"Training again? You sure work hard," A kind, male voice said.

"Well, we have our reasons. Plus you never know what might happen," Sumire said. The three girls didn't have to turn to see who the guests were.

Velvet Rose sat on the nearby rocks, making themselves comfortable as they snuggled deeper into their thick winter coats.

"Sakura is a multi-Alice user, and Ibaragi is an Ice user…" Hotaru mumbled thoughtfully. "Shouda, what about you? I don't believe we've seen your Alice yet."

The older girl looked a little embarrassed as Hotaru asked the question.

"…I have the cat-dog constitution Alice," Sumire told her.

"…Cat-dog Alice?" Ruka repeated.

"The Ability to possess the senses or abilities of a cat and dog, am I correct?" the inventor said, and Sumire nodded.

"Wouldn't someone normally have the cat or dog constitution Alice, and not both?" Natsume stated, and Hotaru also agreed.

"Well, didn't I tell you? Remember what I said near the clearing?" the emerald eyed girl said, sitting on a rock across from them.

Mikan froze a little. "…You told them that?"

Sumire shrugged. "Well, it was sort of unavoidable. They'd figure out eventually, anyway."

"…" the brunette did not say anything else, skating in random patterns on the ice. "Just…be careful. Your parents are still alive, so…"

"You don't want them coming after Nobara and I, I know." Sumire said. "But, we can trust Velvet Rose, can't we?

Mikan looked at the three members a bit doubtfully before turning back and returning to her random skating.

"…I suppose so."

Sumire smiled.

"My...my Alice isn't a real Alice. Well, a normal Alice user would have either the cat constitution Alice or the dog constitution Alice and not both, Like Hyuuga said. It's not…actually possible to have both cat and dog constitution when you're born with an Alice."

"Err, then your parents…?" Ruka asked, not finishing his question.

"Right, they experimented on me." Sumire confirmed.

"Then, which Alice did you have first?" Hotaru said. "Alice experimentation truthfully isn't that uncommon. Although people rarely survive and everyone is too deathly afraid to either be a test subject or perform the experiment, so no one does it anymore, but it has happened."

Mikan looked at the older girl and stopped skating.

"…You really hadn't planned how you would explain this part, did you?" she said, her voice soft.

The emerald-eyed girl had turned a bit pale, and a few tears were brimming in her eyes, threatening to spill.

"Umm…I did….but…the words…will you…?" she choked out, and ran from the forest.

Mikan sighed.

"…What…happened?" Ruka's voice quavered, unsure of whether he wanted to know.

"…"

The brunette went quiet for a while, beginning to skate randomly again. Nobara was sitting on a rock, her eyes cast downward, not wanting to look at the members of Velvet Rose so they wouldn't ask her to tell them the rest of Sumire's story.

"….Sumire…." Mikan stopped skating and turned to look at them in the eyes. "Sumire was originally a non-Alice."

"…What?" Ruka whispered, his face utterly confused. "If she was a non-Alice, how did she—?"

"E…Experimentation…?" Hotaru murmured, shocked.

"…That's impossible," Natsume said, his eyes narrowing. "No one has ever done nor studied something like this before."

"Well, if Sumire's here with the cat and dog constitution Alice, then that means it is possible, doesn't it?" Nobara snapped.

Ruka looked shocked at the spitfire attitude coming from Nobara, while Hotaru and Natsume just looked a bit shaken up.

"Err, Nobara-chan?" Ruka called out timidly.

"Yeah, I'm here. Better known as the Ice Lady. Nobara's split personality." Nobara explained, irritated, before continuing. "Sumire's Alice is an what you would call an artificial Alice."

"…" Hotaru could say nothing. Even she couldn't fully understand how you could have produced an artificial Alice.

"They….used two Alice stones. Her parents paid someone to steal Alices, and they combined the two stones together. But…the person with the extracting Alice they hired was…a bit out of control. He didn't just extract their Alice, he took it and extracted their soul because he couldn't control his Alice." Mikan said, beginning to skate again.

"Sumire thinks that she's technically the one who killed them, because she has their Alices. Some of them, at least." The Ice Lady continued.

"…How…did they even combine….?" Hotaru mumbled.

"Liquification Alice."

"Another hired Alice user."

"Truthfully, it's not too hard to combine the Alices themselves, since they're in solid form when you extract it…an Alice stone. It's like melting chocolate and sugar together in a pot. Just liquefy the two Alice stones, blend them together, and harden them. Voila, you have yourself an artificial Alice." The Ice Lady explained, sounding slightly sarcastic.

"It's…the actual…" Mikan paused again, searching for the right words. "It's the actual…testing of the new Alice."

"Your Alice is yours because you're compatible with it…" a voice said, and the group turned in surprise.

"Sumire!" The Ice Lady exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Hey," the emerald-eyed girl greeted back. Her eyes were a bit puffy and red, but she looked somehow…determined. "I figured I should help explain, too. It's about me, after all. Can't hide forever."

Turning to Velvet Rose, she continued her story.

"Like I said, your Alice is yours because you're compatible with it. I, as a normal human, a non-Alice, suddenly gained one. Any Alice would not have been compatible with me, because I wasn't meant for one. My parents, however, were determined for me, their experiment, to be successful."

Sumire sat down on the nearest frozen rock.

"Hmm…truthfully, I don't remember what happened after I was injected with the Alice."

"I do," the Ice Lady told her. "Rather, Nobara does. She watched you through the window, but since I am also her…"

Her eyes widened for a bit in realization. "Nobara's waking up. I think she wants to help explain, too. See ya later."

The confident eyes of the Ice Lady closed and when they opened again, they were replaced with Nobara Ibaragi's shy ones.

"U-Umm…" she began, glancing at Sumire, who nodded kindly.

"I-I used to be able to see Sumire s-sometimes, when I w-was locked up i-in my room…" Nobara paused, gaining a bit more confidence as she talked. "…And hear. Sumire…u-used to scream a lot. And writhe in pain…h-her parents…used those strap t-things to keep her down…"

She shivered.

"That was probably all I did during the gap where I can't remember anything. Afterwards…hmm…Oh!" Sumire's eyes lit up, remembering something. "I went through pretty bad…mutations, I guess. My Alice went out of control. Normally, you don't gain any animal parts except ears, whiskers, and the tail, but sometimes it varies with different people."

She then closed her eyes and concentrated, and after a while, whiskers appeared on her face, as well as ears and a slender tail.

It was normal for this Alice, until Sumire opened her eyes.

They were a greenish yellow color, but the shape and build the same as a cat's.

She smiled almost sadly, and held up her hands. Her nails were slightly longer and slightly curved, sharpened at the tip like a blade.

"Sometimes I'll be more of a cat than dog, or vice versa. But that's normal… other times, I'll completely turn into a cat or dog, and rarely, a mix of both. Rarely, but it does happen."

Ruka looked horrified.

Sumire smiled that half-sad smile again.

"I'm artificial, after all. There's always an imperfection in artificial things. But…"

Jumping into the air, the five people below her could hear her laugh, her voice distant from the height.

"I suppose this messed-up Alice does have its cool points."

Landing rather clumsily, her cat ears twitched.

"…I can never do this right."

"Sumire-nee, you were never very athletic," Mikan laughed. "Even with your Alice."

"Shush," Sumire said, pouting. "I do decently enough."

Nobara laughed, and Ruka smiled at the easygoing mood.

Natsume and Hotaru stood there, their faces blank.

An artificial Alice…

* * *

_I was not able to live…_

Kurayami made her appearance after Mikan, Sumire, Nobara and Velvet Rose had left.

_So please, mother, father, protect her…_

Lifting her head, she stared into the brilliance of the sky.

_Protect her…keep her alive…_

_Mikan is, after all…_

The leaves rustled as a strong wind shook them.

Kurayami marveled at the sound, something this area frozen in ice could never do.

* * *

_Because…_

_Because Mikan is what?_

* * *

~./End Chapter Seven/.~

_...And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's End Notes: **Yes, I know, I suck! D:

-cries-

-runs off into corner-

I'm SORRRRRYYYY!


	8. Fall of Night

**Writer's Notes: **Ummm…so…I doubt I'll be updating much. D;

School really takes up my time, and I'm not getting those ideas I really like and want to make into a chapter much anymore. D;

Updating will only be occasionally. D;

Sorry. D;

**Moonlightnin: **Haha, sorry for all the explaining~: sweatdrop:  
Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear. ;D  
…Or is it your wish is my command?  
Soon, at least. Very very soon. Next chapter. ;D Part two.

* * *

_-/__MyLadyWolf__/-_

* * *

_They say a full moon holds power_

_Or a full moon makes humans behave oddly_

_Or to the wolves in ancient stories,_

_A full moon changes their very being…_

* * *

Kaede, in human form, sat upon Mikan's boulder, watching the night sky, looking at the few stars that were scattered across it.

She sensed someone or something coming closer, and she immediately recognized it as Katana through his scent.

"…Tomorrow's going to be a full moon." She stated simply without taking her eyes off the sky.

"…" Katana said nothing at first, only staring at the sky also. "…I suppose we should prepare, then. Perhaps warn Velvet Rose…if…_that _happens, we can only hope they'll help us."

Kaede did not respond, only nodded, her expression unclear in the darkness.

* * *

In the morning, Mikan woke feeling…slightly strange. Her memory was a bit fuzzy, and everything around her seemed slightly clearer. However, these were just minor things, so she just brushed it off and dressed for class. Today, it was a simple red and white Lolita-style dress and brown boots.

Checking on the wolves as usual, she found quite a most of them looking at the sky, or on edge.

"…Is something wrong?" she asked quietly to Tanpopo, the nearest to her in human form.

"…It's a full moon tonight," the golden-haired girl whispered.

"Ah…"

Now, Mikan understood. She didn't exactly know if like in the legends, they turned into werewolves or beasts or something, because on every full moon, her memory of the night was completely gone. However, during the day of the full moon, all the wolves seemed cautious and on edge, like now.

Quietly creeping away, she met Nobara and Sumire at the entrance of the Northern Forest.

"Tonight's a full moon," Mikan told them, and her two friends exchanged glances. Their expression was something the brunette couldn't really understand…it was almost like a babysitter's frazzled expression while she was taking care of an extremely troublesome child.

"Oh," was all Sumire replied.

"H-How are the wolves?" Nobara asked nervously, peering into the forest.

"On edge…I don't think I'll bother them too much today…"

As they neared the entrance of the school, they could hear a faint ringing noise.

"Crap!" Sumire shouted, her eyes widening. "Late late late!"

She ran off to the high school division, while Mikan and Nobara dashed for their classrooms.

* * *

"Alright, calm down, class is getting started," the science teacher Misaki shouted, clapping his hands together.

Of course, the class never quieted down completely, but Misaki was used to it and continued.

"Today's lesson is the study of animals. Wolves, namely."

The students murmured, a few angry, others frightened, a handful excited or interested.

"If Miss Sakura could lend us her assistance with her friends, it would be greatly appreciated."

Mikan, who had been staring out the window the whole time, murmured, "….Tonight's a full moon. They're on edge."

Turning her head, she now stared at Misaki, her chocolate eyes boring into his muddier-colored ones.

"…However, if you wish to continue the lesson, extra caution should be taken."

Smiling, the science teacher responded. "Please."

Mikan returned the smile with a small one of her own, and stood. "I will be going ahead, then."

Her boots made a light noise as she walked delicately towards the door and made her way to the forest.

* * *

Airi raised her head and sniffed the air.

"…Master?"

The brunette appeared a few minutes later.

"…We're studying wolves today," she told them.

Kaede was in human form. She shrugged, and stared at the sky. "Fine. They'll obviously have to be more careful. We're not dogs, and tonight's a full moon."

Katana appeared from behind trees and lick his lips, most likely coming from a meal. He morphed into his silver-haired, gray-eyed human form and wiped his lips with the back of his hand to clean any excess blood off.

"Even light provoking will cause fatal damage, depending on who is provoked. Kaede, Hatsu, Sumi, Shiro and I are a bit older so the full moon affects us slightly less."

"…Only slightly." Shiro said, also morphing into human form to talk. "Only that we have slightly more control over ourselves during the day. If any of the younger ones lose control, we may not be able to stop him or her at such a close range."

Sumi barked something, and Kaede translated.

"…The full moon holds extraordinary power. Thus, our abilities, senses, and strength are increased dramatically. If anyone is provoked and we respond, the student will not live. I can guarantee that."

"There is no chance they will escape, even with critical injuries?" Mikan asked.

"None," Katana confirmed. "A full moon is dangerous for humans to be around wolves."

"Well, if the teacher really needs to carry out the lesson, all I can say is 'be careful.'" Shiro sighed, and Sumi opened her mouth, a mischievous yet warning look in her eyes as her teeth gleamed.

* * *

Misaki sighed. "The testing for this marking period revolves around wolves. With…distractions and interruptions during several lessons," He glanced at Luna, who was not paying attention, "we need all the observation time we can get."

Mikan curtsied and repeated the wolves' warning. "...Extra precaution is vital."

The class shifted nervously.

"Provoking them is an extremely stupid move," Mikan continued. "Do so and I can guarantee that you will not live."

"Murderer…just because we're not like her…" someone murmured, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Don't you mean that she's not like us?" Natsume said, his voice so sudden in the quiet of the classroom. The students went deadly silent and the brunette sighed.

"Such is the nature of all humans. They tend to shun things that are different. Not always, but sometime in their life." Mikan said.

"…You speak as if you aren't one," Hotaru told her, and the wolf-girl smiled.

"Well, I suppose living in a different…world has given be different views."

Misaki clapped his hands, talking loudly. "Alright! Let's get this lesson started."

And Mikan led them all into the forest.

* * *

"Scientific name is canis lupis, the gray wolf. They are carnivorous, and…"

The brunette didn't bother listening; she knew all of this already. She slipped off her shoes and dipped them into the nearby pond.

"KYAAAA!"

Mikan turned, and Airi was growling, a little saliva dripping from her mouth. The wolf's fur was bristling, ears erect, lips curled back to display her incisors.

"Y-You disgusting—" One student began, but squeaked and stopped talking as Airi snarled.

"Airi…" Mikan sighed, her voice gentle. The pink-tinted wolf growled softly and back away, morphing into her pink-haired, red-eyed human form. The brunette tossed her a towel to cover up her nudity.

"If you were alone, if Master was not here…" Airi told the student, her eyes narrowed, "…I would have ripped you into shreds for insulting her…"

"Please," Luna scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Disgusting, warped freaks can just live in their own twisted, warped world. Don't interfere with my perfect one."

She clamped onto Natsume's arm and attempted to kiss him, but Airi morphed back into a wolf and jumped on Luna, knocking her over before she had a chance to do so. Sorano joined in the fun.

Luna crawled backwards, stumbling as she stood, pointing an accusing finger at Mikan.

"Y-you bitch! You wild beast! You made them attack, didn't you?"

_How stupid can she get? _Hotaru thought, sighing. Natsume seemed slightly amused.

Snarling, Sorano jumped the same time Airi did, flying through the air in perfect sync. Their mouths were open, teeth ready to sink into flesh.

Gasping, the other students took a few steps backward, Misaki's eyes widening.

Something moved, and suddenly the two wolves' teeth had sunk into each of Mikan's arms.

The rest of the pack had moved forward to stop the younger wolves, but their Master, the closest, had gotten between Luna and the two attacking wolves in the blink of an eye.

Growling and still snarling, Airi and Sorano did not let go. Blood splashed to the floor, and Natsume's eyed widened slightly.

"My own blood will not trigger the beast," the brunette told him, and flung her arms down.

The pink-tinted wolf and the blue-tinted wolf yelped as their bodies hit the ground rather harshly.

"Stand down…" Mikan said, her voice neither loud nor angry sounding. Airi and Sorano however, flattened their ears, tucked their tails between their legs and whimpered, backing away slowly.

Another wolf barked, and the two scampered away.

Sumi trotted up to her master to check if she was alright. She suddenly stopped, her ears flattening a little. Her master's eyes scared her… the authority in them…the intensity that could make any animal surrender to her command, the gaze that even a lion or a panther would shrink under…

Mikan blinked and her expression returned to normal.

Cho also came up and sniffed the brunette's wounds, whining.

"I'm alright. Nothing I can't live through."

"I knew this would happen!" someone shouted, fear evident in their voice. "They attacked Luna-chan again!"

"You twisted wolf girl!"

"Go back to where you belong!"

"We don't want you here!'

The students began to throw rocks, branches, dirt, anything they could get their hands on. Misaki tried in desperation to calm his class down, his voice lost in their screaming.

Katana and Kaede then snarled, their voices ripping through the air, much louder than any other voice. The students quieted down at once out of fear.

"Leave." Shiro commanded, in human form. "We warned you, and you did not heed our warnings."

"Why is it that humans have that _burning_ curiosity to do things they are told not to do?" Masaki asked, rhetorically, obviously. "Are all humans just that stupid?"

"Wha—"

"Maybe it's her, you know? Blondie, there? She's the leader of everyone apparently, so she's the cause of their stupidity." Masaki continued airily. "They do say idiocy is contagious."

"Don't—"

Smirking, the light brown wolf sighed. "It really makes me wonder why people look up to her, one of the many unsolvable mysterious of life, I suppose."

Suddenly, she stopped smiling and her face became blank, her body shaking. Masaki morphed back into wolf, but it seemed as if the Alice was forcefully commanding her body to return to her normal form. Letting out a howl, the class cringed at the sound, although as always Velvet Rose was unaffected.

"Masaki! Get out of here! GO!" Shiro commanded.

The rest of the pack, aside from Kaede, Katana, Sumi, Hatsu, and Shiro, the oldest wolves, began to writhe in pain.

"OUT! OUT! LEAVE!" Shiro was bellowing, and he turned, glaring at the Misaki's students. "Leave, humans. Get out of the forest."

"What makes you think—" someone began again, being both idiotic and defiant.

"GET OUT." The white wolf snarled, his eyes flashing, letting his Alice weaken to show his sharp incisors. "You don't want to be here, and we don't want you here. Now get the fuck out!"

White with fear, the majority of the students scrambled out of the Northern Forest, tripping over rocks and each other. Misaki, with sense, also left. Velvet Rose, Mikan, and Nobara remained.

The sky began to turn orange, the sun slowly sinking out of sight.

Panic showed in the oldest wolves' eyes, and Katana turned to human.

"Get out! Take master away!" He shouted, glancing frantically at the setting sun.

"W-Wh—" Ruka stuttered, confused.

"TAKE HER OUT OF THE FOREST!" Kaede screamed, trying to work her Alice, but only managing to get out her human voice.

"Don't let her return until tomorrow morning, after six." Katana told them, his breathing heavy. "Don't let her return, no matter what happens."

"Katana?" Mikan found her voice, worry in her voice. "What's happening?"

She stepped forward, and suddenly all strength failed her. "I don't….understand…" the words left her mouth in a whisper, and she started to fall.

Natsume reached out and caught her before she collided with the ground. The brunette's body was limp, all consciousness leaving her as well.

"…Take care of her, fire-caster," Katana told him, and the last wolves ran into the trees in a blur, leaving the humans alone.

"…"

Hotaru remained silent, with nothing to say and her usual stoic expression.

Ruka remained silent, confused and at loss of what he should say, wondering is Mikan was okay.

Natsume remained silent, more confused and at loss of what he was supposed to say than Ruka, although his face showed nothing.

Nobara remained silent, standing in the back where Velvet Rose couldn't see her expression. Massaging her temples, she sighed quietly. Full Moons…were extremely troublesome.

She stared at the crimson-eyed fire caster.

This was going to be a long night for him…

And night began to fall.

* * *

~./End Chapter Eight/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's End Notes: **Hmmm…a little longer than what I usually write…eight pages. O: Not bad.

Alright, so this ends part one. =3 Part two will include all the wonderful Natsume/Mikan moments. Mwehehehe…


	9. Beginning Song

**Writer's Notes: **Really, really, REALLY FREAKING SLOW UPDATES, I know. D; Sorry. Not much time I can spare on fanfiction anymore.

And my inspiration flew away….Dx

* * *

_-/__MyLadyWolf__/-_

* * *

As the sky officially darkened into night, the glowing, round moon showing its light in the black sky, Velvet Rose all were gathered in Natsume's room, Mikan still unconscious and laying limp on his huge bed.

"What in the world happened?" Ruka asked, shaking his head at the memory of the forest this late afternoon.

"Luna happened." Hotaru responded. "Both lunas."

"What?" the blonde-haired boy looked confused, and Natsume, who had been watching over Mikan, looked up.

"Luna. Spanish for the moon."

"You think it's true?" Ruka wondered, "…Werewolves?"

Hotaru glanced at him, before turning to look at the moon. "Really, anything's possible. No one believed in Alices, or artificial Alices, until they came to be."

There was a light knocking at the door, and none of them answered, so it opened on its own, Nobara and Sumire stepping in.

"Well, lovely for you to open the door for us. Or really to just invite us in." Sumire said, and Natsume shrugged.

"The door was open and you came in anyway."

Rolling her eyes, the emerald-eyed girl motioned to Mikan. "She hasn't stirred?"

Ruka shook his head, and Nobara looked around the room.

"…We might not be the ones taking care of the situation this time…" she said to Sumire, who grinned so widely it might have rivaled the Cheshire's Cat's.

"I know~" she sang, and sat herself down on Natsume's bed, by Mikan's legs. "But then again she might recognize us, so…"

She looked troubled, and Nobara fidgeted before sitting herself down as well, next to Sumire.

There was a silence, before Sumire looked out the window and glanced around the room for a clock. "What time is it?"

"11:57," Hotaru answered, her eyes narrowing just the slightest bit, but not in anger.

"Three minutes," Nobara whispered, looking at Mikan and then out the window.

They could all hear the clock ticking, and once it was located, they all stared at it, waiting, waiting, waiting…

_Tick…tock…tick…tock…tick…tock…tick._

Midnight.

A booming chorus of wolf howls ripped through the air. Ruka was the only one who jumped, although Natsume and Hotaru's eyes widened and their heads had turned quickly towards the general direction of the noise. Nobara and Sumire seemed like they were used to it, or were expecting it.

The howls echoed, and as they began to end, the brunette stirred, her eyes opening slowly, awakened by the wolves.

Hotaru raised an eyebrow, because frankly, it was slightly creepy.

"Mikan?" Sumire called, standing up and moving near her head. "Remember me?"

The wolf-girl looked blankly at her friend for a moment, then recognition dawned on her, eyes brightening and arms thrown around the emerald-eyed girl's neck. Then Mikan spotted Nobara, who moved closer as well, and was hugged too.

There were no words spoken.

Once the greetings were over, Mikan looked around the room, and sniffed the air. After a while she lay back down on the bed, looking contently pleased.

Sumire smirked at Natsume, and he really didn't understand why she did.

"Mikan?" she asked, and the brunette raised her head. "We need you to choose. This guy, Nobara, or me?"

The person in question blinked a few times, before laying down yet again, closing her eyes, then suddenly sitting up and pouncing on Natsume, who was knocked over, their position the same as the one on her first day of school. Only….something was very different.

"Woo! Sucker!" Sumire cheered, and high-fived with Nobara.

"Umm…?" Ruka began, and the green-haired girl grinned again.

"Mikan will be your responsibility tonight, Natsume Hyuuga," she said. "She chose you."

"What?" he groaned at he got up, the brunette clinging to his arm.

"It's a full moon," Nobara supplied, "Full moons hold power. I can't confirm what happens to the wolves, but…with Mikan, she changes."

Certainly, Velvet Rose could see some difference. She was extremely smiley, more…childish and clingy, and just….different.

"Long story short, her personality changes to that of a wolf cub's. Or just a baby animal in general. Or a strange little girl." Sumire added, and paused. "But anyway, she scented you, and clung onto you. She's not going to leave you, so thus, baby Mikan is your responsibility this time."

"What?" Natsume repeated, his tone more disbelieving.

Nobara sighed, and knelt down. "Watch."

She turned her attention on the brunette, who blinked and smiled at her, letting go of the fire-caster's arm and crawling over. "Mikan, dear? Won't you stay with me tonight instead?"

Mikan pouted, and then pounced on Natsume again, although he managed to stay upright this time, his arm being clung onto once again, only tighter. She bared her teeth.

"See? No." Nobara stated, and got up, proceeding to attempt to drag Mikan out the door, in which she grabbed onto Natsume's arm tighter and refused to let go.

"So, you're stuck." Sumire smiled smugly, and Ruka blinked.

"…Why are you so…happy?" he asked, and they both looked worn.

"You're basically taking care of a little kid. And that's troublesome. And she can't talk, because she doesn't know how to use her vocal cords in this state of mind. So you'll be guessing what she wants." The emerald-eyed girl sighed, and looked out the window. "Well. Time for us to go. Bed time. Have fun."

And with that, she and Nobara left, shutting the door behind them quietly.

Mikan now let go of Natsume's arm and climbed on the bed again, smiling and swinging her legs.

Hotaru and Ruka looked at each other, then at their third member, and began laughing, Hotaru more smirking. They got up and headed towards the door.

"Oi," Natsume threatened. "Imai."

Raising an eyebrow, lips still in a smirk-smile, she shook her head. "You heard them. She chose you. And she's not accepted anyone else. You're out of luck, Hyuuga."

Ruka's sapphire eyes danced with amusement, as did the inventor's amethyst ones, and, still laughing and smirking, they left the room. "Good luck."

Eyebrows furrowing into an irritated expression, and shaking his head, the fire caster turned towards the brunette who was watching him curiously.

The more he looked at her, the more he realized how truly beautiful she really was.

She grinned at him, got up, and hugged him, smiling the whole time as she struggled to get her off of him.

"Argh!" He said, irritated. Standing up, the girl fell off of him and he pointed to the couch, "go."

He really wasn't sure what to do, but she complied, curling up and closing her eyes.

The might be more simple than Shouda and Ibaragi had described.

Sighing, slightly exasperated, he climbed into his own bed.

Maybe if he fell asleep they could both just sleep until morning and everything would remain simple.

* * *

He woke up in the middle of the night, his head throbbing slightly, unsure of why he had woken. There were no sounds, no nightmares or problems that should have woken him, but here he was, awake.

He sat up, his headache slowly fading away, as if the cause had been he was sleeping too much. But he'd barely been sleeping recently, so that couldn't have been the cause.

Natsume's crimson eyes flickered to the couch where Mikan had been sleeping, and found it empty. Instead he found shreds of red and white cloth, as well as brown, scattered across the floor.

Raising his eyebrows, he walked over and picked up one of the shreds, quickly identifying it as the dress Mikan had been wearing, and the brown as the shoes she had matched the dress with.

Oh, crap. If her clothes were shredded…what had happened, and where was she?

But at this moment, he sensed movement and turned, spotting the brunette standing by the window in her glorious beauty.

The silvery moonlight shone in through the glass and bathed her in light, so strange since the moon couldn't have possibly given that much light, but it did. She stood there naked, not completely though, with a tattered, ripped dress and her undergarments showing through, she gave off a wild sort of beauty. She was barefooted, for her shoes were completely ruined, and her hair hung down, tangled and messy, back turned to the fire caster.

For a minute, he was captivated, until he got up and took a few steps towards her, and she turned, her eyes…different. The whites of her eyes…well, the previous whites were now colored black, and her irises a golden yellow, her pupils black. These eyes were not the eyes of a human, but the eyes of a wolf.

She looked sleepy, and as she yawned, he could see her sharp incisors, like a wolf's, and her nails about an inch or two longer, sharp at the ends, a dangerous weapon.

It took a good two or three minutes for her to notice him, but she did, and she did so, he shivered. She did not smile, tilt her head, or show any recognition…she just observed him coolly.

She stared at him, and he stared back.

After about five minutes of silence and a staring contest, she smiled with a slightly haughty air.

Natsume Hyuuga did not even see or sense that she had moved.

But he had been knocked to the floor, and before he could even register the pain, she was on top of him, her lips smashed against his, her tongue searching around in his mouth.

He was too shocked to make any sort of protest, and before he could, she raised her head, saliva dripping slightly, and a smile upon her lips, purely and genuinely pleased.

"What the fuck?" he said, saliva dripping down one side of his mouth. "What the hell's gotten into you?"

There was a pain on in the inside of his cheek, and he could taste something metallic. Blood.

"Hee…" was all she managed to say, continuing to smile. She still couldn't figure out how to use her vocal cords. But he could see the light blood stains on her teeth. She had punctured the inside of his mouth; he could feel the holes as he rolled his tongue over them.

She observed him, blinked, and then bit her arm, sucking out the blood, and kissing him again. He almost gagged, she let the blood run into his mouth, and he swallowed out of surprise. His throat burned now, something about her blood was…different.

She stood now, and observed her shredded clothes, and her nails. She sat on the couch, and smiled prettily.

Natsume got up, glared at her, and went into the bathroom to wash out his mouth. He could still taste blood…

When he had come out, she was raiding his personal refrigerator. The raw meat he had never known was in there (he only ever used it for drinks, Natsume _did not_ cook, as the cafeteria was there was that) was being shredded to pieces and gulped down by the…girl.

He was glad he didn't have to feed her, because from what he knew wolves basically threw up to feed the…'food' to their children, but maybe Mikan wasn't that young of a wolf to need that. Which he was glad for.

Once she had finished eating (he had to clean up after her, because blood from the meat was all over the floor and the fridge a complete mess) she went onto his couch and lay down peacefully.

For a while though, as he looked at her, he couldn't leave her in tattered clothes like that; if Imai or Shouda or Ibaragi came in, what would they think? And Ruka too; and in general it was rather awkward to have an almost-naked girl in his room, and sleeping in it as well.

Snapping his finger in an irritated manner, he pointed to his drawer, and she managed to pull it open and claw out a shirt, only to poke some rather large holes in it with her sharp nails. Trying to remove it, Mikan only managed to rip it in half. She looked at the shirt, ruined and skewered on her nails, and smiled sheepishly at Natsume.

Great. There went one of his best shirts.

Slightly more irritated, he dug out a shirt that was really quite large and looked at her. She was looking back at him smiling, trying to get the shirt on her nail off, only shredding it some more in the process.

Sighing, he looked at the tattered remains of her dress and lit them on fire. It was ruined anyway, and he wasn't going use his bare hands to rip it off of her. Surprisingly, she was rather calm while the red-orange flames charred the fabric to ashes in seconds, and he distinguished them before they touched her skin. She smiled again, sitting there in only her bra and panties.

Jamming the shirt over her head, she struggled to find the holes for her head and hands. Plus she didn't seem to like having the shirt blinding her and constricting her movements, although Natsume was sure she could shred it as faster than his fire could burn it; his other shirts hadn't stood a chance, why should this one?

He felt like he was taking care of a child, or his little sister Aoi when she still didn't know how to dress herself. Once he'd finally gotten her head and arms through, she smiled at him again, her hair messed up and soft locks covering her face. The shirt was seriously huge (was it even his size?) and it acted like another dress for her, only the sleeves were too long, and the color was just a plain black.

At this point she held out her arms and hugged his neck.

"Get _off_." He hissed at her, but she only held on tighter, resting her head on his shoulder, apparently falling asleep. All he could do was pick her up like a rather large child and but her on the couch; the only problem was that she wouldn't let go of his neck. So the only solution was to bring her to bed with him.

She clung to him the whole time, still hanging onto him when on the bed. It was very irritating an uncomfortable to attempt to sleep like that, but after a while, her grip loosened a little. Natsume however, was getting rather sleepy himself, and with her warmth and gentle presence, he drifted off into the land of dreams, his usual nightmares kept back by the guardian wolf.

* * *

_Paws stepped into and flew out of puddles of water, fur becoming drenched, and the puddles continuously disturbed by continuous lines of wolves dashing through them with amazing speed. The reflection of the moon in the water never had time to recover itself until every wolf was through crossing the area. Their yellow eyes were angry and some frightened, but with a hint of excitement as well. Surprisingly, no fights broke out between this massive party of wolves, for they did not all belong to the same pack. No ill feelings seemed to exist at all between any of them, or if they did, it seemed that they were all determined to keep them back or hidden. Occasionally stopping for a hunt, the canines moved like ghosts through the forests._

_When they finally did stop, every single wolf showed signs of respect. Tails were lowered and legs were bent, ears back and flattened, showing their submissive nature to other wolf, probably the Alpha. It was hidden in the shadows, but its subjects seemed to understand his words…or growls. After about ten minutes, an earsplitting chorus of wolf howls ripped through the night._

_Even the cubs were silent and respectful during the 'meeting', although surely not many, if any at all, understood what was being discussed. It was a discussion of war, of their homes, of the other side's horrible deeds. But the gathering of wolves also celebrated the birth of their new princesses and their future queen.

* * *

_

He opened his eyes the smallest crack. Something was wrong again, but he could still feel the girl next to him. The room was still dark, telling him the set hadn't even risen yet. He could feel Mikan sit up a little, and a low, dangerous growl came from her throat. Natsume could tell it wasn't aimed at him, but nothing else was in his room…

But from his door came a wolflike laughter, and Mikan growled again, louder, fiercer, more dangerous and deadly, and the other wolf gave sort of an abrupt yip, his laugh cut off. And then there was nothing else. The brunette seemed satisfied before she lay down again, snuggling into Natsume's back, and they both fell back asleep.

* * *

When he awoke for the third time, Mikan was no longer next to him. The shirt he had covered her with was gone, her shredded garments nowhere in sight either. His window was open, giving the assumption she'd left through there instead of the door. The spot next to him was cold, so she had been gone for a while.

Natsume groaned as she turned over, his head hurt as if he had had a hangover. Obviously he didn't, he was taking care of the stupid wolf girl all night. His neck was stiff; he probably didn't move all night….which was weird, because he always tossed and turned when he slept.

As he got up to get a glass of water and some pills to ease his headache, he realized his room seemed no different. It seemed as if the girl's presence never set a foot in his room.

Looking at his clock, he sighed.

He was already an hour and a half late for class.

* * *

Surprisingly, Mikan was calmly sitting at her seat, talking with Nobara. Her hair was tied into a side ponytail with a pink bow, and she wore a pink frilly dress with white boots, looking very much like a little girl. Several of the students were glaring at her, but she ignored them as Nobara glanced around nervously. When Natsume entered, Nobara smiled a little apologetically and smothered a giggle as she saw he face; he looked a little worn. He scowled and sat down in his seat, where Ruka and Hotaru shot him smirks.

"How'd it go, Natsume?" Ruka asked, laughter in his voice.

His friend only grunted in reply.

"Judging by what he looks like…" Hotaru began, her expression amused.

Ruka laughed, while Natsume looked back and glared at them.

Luna had gotten up now, and eyes were on her now. A triumphant smirk was planted on her face.

"How're your little wolf friends doing? Are they dead yet?"

Mikan simply stayed quiet, as Nobara glanced at the other girl with slightly nervous eyes, trying to continue the conversation.

Luna's eyes narrowed. "Little girl," She began, her voice turning dangerous. "When you walk on my territory, you abide by my rules. When you try and take something that belongs to me, you compensate it. When I dislike your mere existence on my property, you _disappear_."

Ah, yes. One of the reasons others stayed out of Luna's way. Although looking like an annoying, stupid girl, she could be dangerous when she wanted, and it seemed like Mikan Sakura was involuntarily pushing her that far.

"Little bitch, _listen to me_!" she screeched, and raised a hand.

Mikan caught it and twisted it before she had a chance to slap her, and Luna let out a shriek of pain. As the brunette stood up, she pushed the other girl into a chair and looked at her icily.

"_Big sister_," She started sweetly, playing along, since Luna had called her 'little girl', and she really did look like one right now. "I don't like being told what to do. This school was not built on your money, for your selfish reasons, nor founded by you. I simply refuse to….disappear from your sight, merely because a self-proclaimed princess has stated so."

She smiled sweetly, and held up her hand. Her nails grew two inches more, sharpened, like the night before, glinting dangerously.

"Big sister, if you'd like, we can play a territorial game," Mikan cooed, drawing nearer. "If you really wish to insist upon being the…owner of this place, if I get rid of you, than the territory is mine, and I'm free to walk on it how I wish, don't I?"

Luna's eyes were wide with fear, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, incoherent noises squeaking from her throat.

As she moved her hand closer, placing on her nails on Luna's cheek, everyone thought the crazy wolf girl might seriously rake those nails across her cheek and destroy her perfect face. Someone mustered up enough courage to open their mouth, but Nobara started laughing, her eyes turning a dark blue, a symbol of the Ice Lady taking over.

"Pathetic," Mikan sighed, shaking her head as her nails shrank back to normal and began walking back to her seat. "Where've you been? Nobara was getting worried."

The Icy Lady shrugged, putting her elbow on the desk and resting her chin on her hand. "There's been nothing interesting. Seeing the little bitch getting bullied instead was worth coming out for, though."

"You know…" one of the male students began, "What is your problem? What do you have against Luna?"

The Ice Lady and Ruka began laughing.

"Lord help them," Hotaru said, directing her words at the student as she shook her head.

"They're so painfully _stupid_," The Ice Lady said, sighing. "Listen up, let me enlighten you a little. Mikan has no problem with Koizumi. It's Koizumi who has a problem with Mikan. If Koizumi had never spoken a word to Mikan, Mikan never would have gotten involved. But in speaking to Mikan, Koizumi got all of her followers involved, and Mikan does not sit back and take shit like that. Leave Mikan alone, and she'll leave you alone, it's as simple as that. Is this explanation simple enough for your stupid minds? Because this goes for the wolves as well. Leave them alone, don't talk to them, provoke them, tease them, walk away slowly, and they'll leave you alone. Act on all of the above, and you might find yourself in the hospital. Animals generally have simpler minds, so you get two choices, to attack or not attack. If you're not an idiot, you should know which one to choose."

The students' eyes flickered around the room nervously.

Mikan perched herself on the window, her hair swaying peacefully in a light breeze. She looked around the room with her chocolate eyes, observing coolly; her eyes were not icy, but they weren't warm either.

Luna had recovered a while ago, but her eyes were still full of hatred. Why did Natsume accept her? A filthy, wild girl of the forest instead of herself, a beautiful, confident, rich woman? If he didn't love her for what she looked like, than at least the riches she had. Mikan Sakura had absolutely nothing, except a twisted personality, a disgusting pack of wolves, and a past that no one knew and most definitely contained nothing worth being interested for.

But as Mikan turned to gaze outside, her eyes widened as did the Ice Lady's. A large section of trees were turning blue, ice coating them. It was beginning to spread throughout the forest.

The two friends met gazes, and as the Ice Lady snapped her fingers, a road of ice slanted downwards onto the ground. They both stepped onto it, going out through the window, and slid down on their feet as if they were skateboarding.

"Mikan!" yelled a voice, and Sumire burst into the room. "Damn it, they already left!"

She looked a little miffed at being left behind without a notice, but slid down the ice as her two friends did, albeit a little more clumsy. The ice disappeared as soon as she stepped off, and Velvet Rose looked at each other.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Natsume said, raising an eyebrow tiredly. Ruka smacked him on the back and smiled. "We're not cats, save for you, Kuro neko-san. But we'll take the chances."

Shooting his friend a glare, Natsume got up, Hotaru already somehow out the window on her invention, the duck scooter. She obviously wasn't going to share, since she was speeding away, so the two males had to go the normal way.

Which really sucked.

* * *

Kurayami was desperately scared. She's never thought he'd come here, never thought she'd see him again. But here he was in all of his beautiful glory, smiling the way he used to.

"My beautiful Kura…" He said sweetly, walking forward. "How it saddens me to see you in this state."

_No, no, no! Get away from me! Don't come near me! _She screamed, although no sound erupted from her throat. She was a ghost, yet she was so terrified being in his presence again.

He continued to smile, but stopped moving forward as the girl cowered in fear, sitting on the ground, covering her head, trembling.

"You were never that terrified of me before," He said, shaking his head. "Why?"

Her eyes, with strange tears welling up in them, glared at him, although she was still afraid. But…he couldn't do anything to her. She was a ghost. She was already dead.

_You…You cunning bastard, you know everything, yet you still ask!_

He seemed to know what she had said, and laughed.

"I still love you, my dear Kura. I was deeply saddened when you died. I'm so very happy to see you again, a pity I can't hear your beautiful voice. I trust your sister is doing well?"

Kurayami stood, eyes blazing, fear thrown aside.

_Even now? Even now? You dare touch her and you will pay!_

Laughter again, a cruel, disgusting laughter that nearly shattered the ice. "I only wanted to see you today, dearest Kura. But it's starting. Your sister will be back with us once more."

_DON'T YOU DARRRREEEE!_

Her Alice was beginning to work overtime, the forest around her froze at an incredibly rate, the temperature dropping unbelievably fast. Shards of ice aimed for his head, and her time Alice was trying to throw the intruder into a separate period. But he merely laughed, shattering the ice shards with his bare hands as blood splattered onto the frozen ground.

"You can't hurt me, Kura. You love me."

_Not any more. My love for you now is only an illusion you have created for yourself, you pathetic being. I loved you once when I was ignorant, blissfully so, and when you were someone you are not now. I have no love for you any longer._

"Nevertheless," he said, smiling. He had known exactly what she wanted to say, even if he couldn't read her ghostly lips. "You cannot hurt me. Your Alice is useless. No matter how you try, you can do nothing. All you can do is observe. I'll see you later, Kurayami, and next time, I'll have your sister in my hands."

He disappeared, and her eyes blazed with fury.

_A voice, someone give me a voice, I NEED A GODDAMN VOICEEEEEEEE!_

* * *

By the time the brunette had arrived, the ice was melting, Kurayami was nowhere in sight to inquire about the sudden freeze-over.

Nobara arrived a bit later, her stamina and endurance much less than Mikan's. Sumire also arrived, more fit than Nobara, but still tired.

"What…happened….?"

"Kurayami's not here. I don't know…"

Mikan looked around as she sensed Hotaru above on her invention, and the other two members of Velvet Rose nearing.

Droplets of blood were fresh atop the layer of ice on the ground. As she bent forward and dipped her finger in it, she had the sense she recognized the smell of it. She licked it, and her eyes narrowed. Yes, something was painfully familiar about this blood. But what?

She couldn't remember. And Kurayami had never freaked out this much to nearly freeze the whole forest, living beings included.

Mikan grit her teeth together. Something was happening, something she would eventually be involved in. But she couldn't remember a single goddamn thing.

The wolves. The wolves knew. She would have to ask the wolves.

Elsewhere, the play of war was preparing its show.

* * *

~./End Chapter Nine/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's End Notes: **Yep, that's all for this chapter.

Slow, rare updates, I'm really sorry, although I do plan to finish my ongoing fanfics.


	10. Instincts

**Writer's Notes:** Chapter 10. This is kinda getting patchworky too…Damn me and my lack of planning.

Internal thought: Why does Mikan hunt for the wolves sometimes? They're wolves! It's what they do; they're not pups, they're full grown! They can hunt for themselves, gosh. X_o

But all your reviews seriously make me really, really happy. -squeals-

* * *

_-/__MyLadyWolf__/-_

* * *

The wolves had felt fear when the forests' temperature dropped dramatically. They all ran to get out of the forest, in hopes of it being warmer. Even if they were used to Alices, this temperature was too much for their bodies.

Something had obviously happened with Kurayami. An intruder in the forest was here, but they could get nowhere close to the clearing where Kurayami inhabited; it got colder and colder as they went nearer. They could smell him, and they knew _he_ knew that too. He was toying with them, all of them, giving them warning that the time was near.

The wolves were enraged. They had given the last intruder a wound to go home with, but the fact they had sent _him _(or was he coming of his own will?) meant that they would have to call a meeting. If the other side was beginning to act, then they had to get a move on as well.

* * *

After the ice had melted, the forest dripped with steamy fog and wet air. It was almost like a tropical rainforest, but none of the inhabitants appreciated this sudden change. Mikan had to use a wind Alice to dry everything out, while Nobara and Natsume worked on adjusting the temperature. Sumire and Ruka worked their Alice to communicate with the animals, trying to assure them this wouldn't happen again, that they could stay in the forest. Hotaru coolly observed everything, seemingly trying to figure out what had gone wrong with Kurayami.

Once the forest was basically back to its normal state, Sumire, Nobara, and Velvet Rose followed Mikan to her house, and where the wolves usually were.

Not a single canine was seen. Mikan narrowed her eyes.

"If any of you are here, then come out." She said, and her voice echoed throughout the forest, ringing in a tone that was powerful with authority.

No one came, which meant that none of the wolves were in the forest any longer. Mikan wasn't worried that they left her for good, or concerned about where they went. But she did wonder what was happening. The wolves never left without her knowing, and this time, all fifteen had simply disappeared, right after Kurayami's incident. It was very possible that it was all related.

Or they could have run because they knew she would confront them this time, but that again made everything related.

She sighed, and Sumire looked at her.

"Where…did they go?"

"I don't know. But there's no signs of struggle so they weren't taken…they'll be back." The brunette said, shaking her head. _And I'll make sure everything's clear then._

She had never been very concerned about her past, although her curiosity did perk when Imai mentioned that the wolves should know it. But now, there was an unpleasant feeling inside her. The blood found at Kurayami's clearing seemed her resonate with her own. There was something familiar about the scent, the taste…and nothing pleasant.

_Blood, red, red, blood…_was all she seemed to see from it. Of course it was blood. But there was something else…

"Mikan?"

Nobara's timid voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Are you…worried?"

Mikan glanced around the forest and shook her head again. "No. But they've never just left like this…"

_Blood blood blood. War. War. War. Give me more blood. Coat the forest in my favorite red._

"What the hell?" the brunette groaned, hitting her head. That small drop of blood had definitely stirred something inside of her, but she wasn't happy with the constant image of blood in her mind.

"Mikan?" Nobara repeated her name, coming nearer.

"I…I'm okay. I need to…clear my past with the wolves…when they come back. I don't think…my own blood will settle down if I don't."

"Are you ready for it?" Sumire said, her voice loud and clear, startling them a little since Nobara had talked in quiet tones. "You're making this decision kind of quick. And so suddenly. What's up?"

"I told you. I don't think my blood will settle down. That blood at Kurayami's clearing…made my skin prickle and I don't feel…right. Her situation and the wolves' disappearance may very well be related…and…these images in my head…something inside me…is…"

Sumire stepped closer and held Mikan's face firmly with her hands, staring into her eyes. "Calm down. It's your choice to ask the wolves when you come back. But right now, Mikan, your eyes looked…different. Calm down. Think of something else. Or I feel like the...'_thing_' inside of you is going to devour you."

As the brunette took a few deep breaths, the pounding in her head started to fade slowly with the touch of the older girl's cold hands. Once her eyes seemed normal, Sumire let go, and jerked her head towards the school.

"Let's go to the cafeteria. The caf food isn't too bad here…and I think we need a change of pace."

* * *

They all picked at their food without really eating it, and a thick silence fell over them.

"So. What was going on inside your head?" Sumire asked finally, looking at her friend, watching her eyes.

"…Blood. I think. Images of blood. 'Coat the forest in my favorite red'…" Mikan repeated slowly, shaking her head. "The problem is…whatever the 'thing' inside of me is, it's part of me."

"Part of you?" Ruka asked.

"Um…this…'thing' is a part of my very existence. It's like…a side of myself I've never known about." She shook her head again. "I don't know what's happening to me. I just feel…unsettled…"

Sighing, the brunette stirred the contents of some soup she had randomly picked up. "Imai mentioned my past last time and the wolves definitely seem to know about it. I never cared before and decided I would wait until they just…told me. But now something inside me is telling me that I need to know what is happening now before…I don't know." She frowned. "Maybe if I don't know that…'beast' will come out."

A silence enveloped then again.

"Say, wouldn't you two have an idea about Sakura's past?" Ruka suddenly asked, "You've been friends for a while, right?"

Nobara shook her head. "We met Mikan by chance in the forest. So all we know is that she could communicate and control the wolves."

"…Did you never find it strange that you could do that?" Hotaru asked monotonously. Her amethyst eyes flicked to the brunette and back to her food. "Wolves are distrustful of humans by nature. Especially wild animals."

Sumire, Nobara, and Ruka's eyes widened, and Natsume felt a little surprised as well. No one really thought about why Mikan Sakura had such control over the wolves.

And apparently, neither did Mikan. Furrowing her eyebrows, she seemed to be deep in thought.

"When I…first arrived at the forest…" She stopped and shook her head. "When I first woke up in the forest, I didn't know where I was, I didn't remember anything, only my name. But after I wandered around a little, I found wolves. Yes, they were wary at first, they growled, or just stared, but…" she paused, thinking. "It might have been my scent or something. It took about two minutes for them to sink into a submissive stance."

"They listen to you." Hotaru said. "You have the voice of the alpha, the command that they follow. But why are you, a human, able to do that?"

The brunette put a hand over her heart. She smiled oddly. "This beast…I think it makes me half-human, and half not."

She looked at Natsume.

"You should remember. So essentially, I'm only partly human. This beast is…more frightful than I thought…"

It dawned on him that she was referring to one of their first encounters. Luna, with her slaves and the metal bats. The beast unleashed. Triggered by blood.

"You said that…your own blood didn't trigger the beast. Yet…that time…"

Looking confused for a second, her eyes widened slightly. "Massive…quantities…of blood…" she whispered. "Something about that…is why the beast…will trigger even if it _is_ my own blood…"

True. Head wounds bled a lot, and the blood had nearly coated her entire face, staining her hands, dripping into her lap, blooming like flowers on her white dress.

She looked around the table, and they all stared back at her. Her past, and the beast inside of her, branching from the images and sole clue of immense bloodshed.

"Mikan…" Nobara whispered. "Don't worry. We'll still be with you."

The brunette smiled a little sadly. "Even if my past is drenched in blood?"

Her two friends smiled back. "Mikan, you forget where both of us come from."

The exchange of smiles left out Velvet Rose, so they had a silent conversation amongst themselves.

Hotaru and Ruka looked at Natsume expectantly. Only he could handle the beast, although there had been no bloodshed to trigger it.

He nodded, and subtly jerked his chin towards the brunette. _Can you think of anything else?_

Hotaru and Ruka shook their heads.

_Mikan Sakura is a good person. But the thing inside her could be a monster. She needs to learn how to control it, or she will be consumed. _The inventor communicated back, flicking her eyes to the brunette, nodding, and hoklding a hand over her heart. Pointing to her own eyes, she narrowed them, and both Ruka and Natsume understood.

_Her eyes at the time didn't just look like they were going to consume her. They looked dangerous._

* * *

"You _wan_t a war, you pup?"

"Can you not hear the sounds of war already brewing, you rabbit? It has already become unavoidable!"

"Ignore them. What of the princess?"

"She is safe for now. But they know of her whereabouts and did not hesitate to make it known. Twice. We are in danger."

"They wish for a war. They wish bloodshed."

"…"

"We know what they want and we absolutely cannot let them have it."

"Of course, you dumbass."

"…"

"Sorry, I uh…picked up on some human slang."

"Fool, watch yourself. You are not human. Remember that. Act like a human as much as you wish but never forget you are a wolf."

"Yes, elder."

"And the war? What shall we do?"

"What can we do? We can only plan and keep the princess safe. But we will fight. It is our nature to do so."

"Beware the princess. Keep her safe."

"And you. When your group returns you know what your master will ask. Do you plan to tell her?"

"Of course. She is strong. And matters will only become more dangerous if she does not. If worst comes to worst, she knows how to defend herself."

"And of Kurayami?"

"…"

"She…exists. As a ghost."

"So it is certain she is dead?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…No."

"What?"

"She is visible, although she does not show from time to time. But just because the students are Alices does not mean they can all see the supernatural, although some have Alices that do so. And Kurayami herself can still operate her Alice. Alices always die with their host…supposedly."

"So…what does this mean?"

"I don't know. It is possible that Kurayami is truly dead. It is also possible she is not, and she is special."

"But…we saw her…and he…"

"…Yes. This is only a possibility. There is more of a chance that I am wrong."

"…"

"Fools. Should Kurayami be alive we shall rejoice. However we must now concentrate on this battle. We shall all live, or we shall all die."

"Or some shall live and some shall die. That is the way of life."

"Shush, fool. You know the elder dislikes that."

"The princess always did too."

"…"

"…"

"Fools! Did I not say we must concentrate? Do you wish for us to lose everything we have and let the forest be terrorized?"

"N-No, elder."

"Then listen! Concentrate! We will have time for rejoicing and reminiscence later, not now!"

"Y-yes, elder."

"Now listen, fools!"

* * *

After school was over and everyone returned to their dorm rooms (and Mikan to her house in the woods) Velvet Rose met up with Sumire and Nobara in an empty classroom.

"Okay," Sumire began. "So Imai noticed that Mikan's eyes were…not normal. And we all know that Mikan doesn't feel right." Her emerald eyes flicked to the fire-caster. "And you know what your role is. Everything relies on you, 'cause you're the only one whose been able to stop Mikan."

"You….know?" Ruka asked; they hadn't met the two friends until after the incident.

"Why shouldn't we?" Sumire smiled.

"And we heard from Mikan-chan about that particular incident," Nobara added in. "She's really grateful to you, Hyuuga-kun."

"Has this ever happened before?"

"…Yes. But not often, because she's careful. Especially after she met us."

"How did you meet, anyway?" The blonde-haired teen inquired, taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"There's a fun story," Sumire smiled oddly, leaning against the wall. "Nobara? A little background on your side?"

Velvet Rose knew Sumire's story, but they didn't know Nobara's. The shy girl smiled softly, taking a seat.

"There's not much. I was experimented on like Sumire was, except it was to strengthen my Alice. That's why it's a bit unstable now and why I can't control it very well. It's not artificial, but…the amplification Alice was forced into my body. It was compatible so nothing happened to me because of that, but…I couldn't handle the sudden surge of power. It wasn't my natural Alice, and it blended with my ice…a reaction."

Hotaru listened to this intently. It seemed as if their Alices were just…ingredients, so easily combined at the cost of human lives. And Sumire and Nobara's parents called themselves scientists. It was a disgrace. It was disgusting that Hotaru could call herself an inventor when these people were 'inventing' such things, using humans as test subjects…

Ruka looked over and blinked at her expression—a subtly hidden but strong surge of hatred.

"Mikan has been training me and she can keep it in check so it's much more stable now," Nobara reassured them. "And the Ice Lady was born during those experiments. In the beginning I didn't know she existed, only that I hurt less. But I discovered her deep inside me, and we've…learned to 'share' a body." She smiled, and held a hand to her heart. The Ice Lady was a precious friend.

A silence fell until Sumire spoke.

"After that, we ran. Our parents allowed the 'test subjects' to be with each other sometimes. So we planned ahead and ran like hell. Ran until we dove into the forest, and met Mikan."

There was a pause and Sumire laughed, and Nobara did so as well, albeit a bit more nervously.

"Well…this was the beginning afterall…" Nobara said, scratching her head, recalling the memory.

Ruka smiled. "I'm assuming you became fast friends? You guys are pretty close now."

Sumire grinned. "Of course not. This was beginning. She tried to kill us."

Velvet Rose blinked.

* * *

"_You would defy the Alpha?"_

"_N-No...you know that I cannot…"_

"_Then do as I say…I am not pleased with this either. Take her and go. We will die but I will not have any harm come upon her. She is on her own now.  
She was taught well. I have no concern that she will not be able to fend for herself."_

"_B-But…"_

"_Did you not hear me? I said. To take her. And go. You would defy me?"_

"_You know…that I cannot…"_

"_Very good. Farewell. I bid you a safe trip."_

"…_My Queen."_

* * *

~./End Chapter Ten/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Writer's End Notes: **What, like, three, almost four months and this is all I manage to come up with? I know, I'm sorry. I really am. D:

Writer's block is a bitch, especially when it doesn't go away.

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, it makes me want to keep writing even when my brain's empty. Thank you thank you thank you!


	11. Decisions

**Writers Notes: **Nothing, but I always start with notes, and I like to keep formats. :'D

OH WAIT, Speaking of formats, all of my stories, except the newer ones, are screwed up. That makes me pissed, and then very, very sad. D: Now I have to edit all my past fanfics…rawr.

Anyway. Here's chapter 11, after like, 5 months. =/

* * *

_MyLadyWolf

* * *

_

_A loud, feral snarl. Sumire and Nobara, holding hands, stopped and looked around fearfully. The relaxed momentarily when they saw a girl in a white dress, then tensed again when they realized the hostile snarl came from _her_ lips, and that wolves gathered around her. The wolves' own lips emitted more wild, animalistic growls although the girl's sounded convincing enough. _

"_Uhm…Excuse me…miss?" Nobara squeaked, frightened. "Do you know—"_

_The girl pounced, and the two friends screamed and dodged. The wild girl turned her head towards them, eyes seeming devoid of all human sense. _

"_S-S-S-Sumire…" Nobara whimpered, clinging to her arm._

"_I d-d-don't know w-w-what we're supposed t-t-to do!" Sumire squeaked back, eyes wide. "Oh! A-Alices! W-we can try…eeek!"_

_The other girl pounced again, and the two Alices just nearly missed her sharp fingernails._

_Another low, feral snow came from her lips, and this time, the wolves also closed in. Two jumped, and panicking, Nobara put up an ice barrier, which knocked them back. The girl in the white dress seemed mildly surprised. _

"_S-Sumire-nee! Your Alice—try to talk to the animals! Or her!" _

_As the situation became more tense, the girls managed to pull themselves together. After escaping their parents, there was no way they were going to die here._

_The green-eyed girl looked afraid for a moment, but closed her eyes and rubbed her cheeks, trying to a partway transformation. Dog ears popped out from her head, and a slender cat tail appeared, wavering elegantly. The girl growled at her animalistic scent._

"_Wait!" Sumire yelled, holding out her hands. "We're not here to fight or hurt you or anything! We just want to know how to get out of this place. And where the next towns are—"_

_They didn't know if the girl had understood Sumire, but either way she launched another attack. She scratched Nobara's cheek, leaving blood on her fingertips. Clenching her fists, the wolves surrounded the friends and closed in slowly. Sumire and Nobara were back to back, trying desperately to try and find a way to escape._

_The girl in the white dress stepped into the ring and held up her hands, nails sharpening to knifelike points. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she walked forward. Without warning, she sped towards them with inhuman speed, raking her nails against Nobara's side. She winced, but managed to freeze her side before the girl could rip her flesh; the ice now bore deep slash marks and Nobara was grateful she could control her Alice well enough to defend herself. Sumire jumped, prepared to catch the girl off guard and pin her down, but the girl dodged and Sumire crashed into Nobara instead. The two rolled on the ground, groaning in pain. At this point, the wolves had caged them in completely, with the girl standing in front of them. Her eyes were murderous, lips pulled back again into a snarl. The wolves followed her._

_They were dead. They were going to die. There was no escaping from this._

_Frightfully, the two friends stared up at the wolf-girl. When she raised her hand, they squeezed their eyes shut._

_But at least they would die free._

"Honestly, we thought we were going to die," Sumire said, looking at the ceiling while Ruka stared at her in shock. Natsume and Hotaru remained indifferent, as usual.

"B-B-but…" the blond-haired boy stammered, trying to match the violent image of Mikan with her current, more calm nature together.

"It was scary," Nobara agreed, touching her side where Mikan had nearly shredded.

"But…if she was about to kill you, how did you become friends?" Ruka asked confusedly, "Did she change her mind last minute?"

Smiling wryly, Sumire said "Something like that" and continued.

_But how could they just leave, after all they had endured? Yet they couldn't do anything. Even with all the experiments, they weren't strong enough…this was unfair, even if they would die free, they never had a chance to truly live…why? Why did this have to happen to them?_

_The wolf-girl stopped, and suddenly, with the rise of emotions at its highest peak, Sumire and Nobara's Alices began to go out of control. The branches of the surrounding trees were becoming layered in ice, and some of the weaker branches snapped and fell from the weight. _

_Sumire gagged, falling to the side convulsing. Strangled noises escaped her throat; it was as if her vocal cords were no longer working. Her eyes were bulging, swiveling in their sockets, terrified. _

_The brunette stopped, furrowing her eyebrows a little, unsure of what to do. Her wolves crowded nearer to her, still baring their sharp incisors, but no longer growling. _

_Around them, the area of the forest was beginning to turn to winter. The temperature dropped fast, cold mist beginning to rise, trees, rocks, and the ground beginning to turn to ice. Nobara seemed to have completely lost it, shivering, mumbling apologies as she hugged herself, sweat rolling off of her forehead. She was back at the laboratory, being beaten for her Alice going out of control…_

_Sumire was still emitting strangled groans, fingers sinking into the unfrozen dirt. Her nails began to sharpen and curve, very much like a cat's claws. Whiskers forced their way out of her face, large, pointed ears flattening against her skull. Her white-brown tail flicked back and forth, and her body felt like it was breaking…her senses sharpened suddenly, overwhelming her with new sights and scents…when she tried to let out the lump that had been stuck in her throat, a sharp, piercing cross between a dog's howl and a cat's feral cry ripped through the air._

_The girl in the white dress took a step back and the wolves blinked, a few shrinking back as well. The area around them was still gathering ice, and the temperature was continuously dropping. And the other one—the green haired girl…she didn't even look human anymore. She was a hybrid between a cat and dog…but it was obvious that she couldn't control her transformation. Cuts had appeared from when her skin ripped open to make room for the new bones to alter her features. She looked like a monster._

_It became apparent that she was no longer thinking like one, either. Baring her sharp teeth, Sumire leaped, ten, twenty, thirty feet into the air, coming down with her claws extended. The brunette and the wolves separated; Sumire swiveled and lunged, her opponent narrowly missing the sharp nails. Without giving any time in between, the green-haired hybrid lunged again, scratching the other girl's face and arm. The wolf-girl gritted her teeth, jumping back to avoid contact. Sumire moved fast, but she was attacking randomly; she wasn't thinking right. _

_The temperature has continued dropping, and the wolves whimpered. Glancing at them, the wolf-girl decided to end this fast. Taking a deep breath, she dodged another one of the green-haired girl's slashes and moved in, punching her in the stomach and knocking her out. As for the ice-controller, who was still mumbling incoherently, she merely pressed on a pressure point in the back of her neck and she went unconscious. The ice began to defrost, although because it was so thick it took a while. _

_Sighing, the girl in the white dress picked up the green-haired girl first, motioning for one of the wolves to come over. She put the girl on the wolf's back, who blinked a little at the animalistic scent but obeyed anyway. Next went Nobara, and the group went deeper into the forest where it was warmer. _

"Of course, I have no memory of this. Mikan explained what happened when we went out of control sometime later, when we were friendlier," Sumire said quietly, looking downward.

There was a somewhat awkward silence, and Hotaru spoke up. "We're not afraid," She said flatly, "It's not as if it was your fault, and plenty of Alices have gone out of control in the school before."

Sumire looked up and smiled, and Nobara smiled as well.

"I suppose we all became friends here," Sumire continued.

_The sky was dark when the two awake. Sumire was sore an disoriented, while Nobara felt extremely weak. Both couldn't remember where they for a few minutes, staring at the stars confusedly until a voice cut into their daze._

"_You're awake." It was a smooth, feminine voice that neither girl recognized. When the owner of the voice moved closer to them, a jolt ran through their bodies._

_It was that wolf girl._

_Sumire tried to move backward but her joints refused to move, while Nobara could only stare at her with fear, for she had no energy whatsoever. When the other girl didn't show any sign of hostility, they relaxed just a little. The wolves were around a fire, watching the two girls both warily and curiously._

"_What…" Nobara began in a small voice, "What happened?"_

"_Your Alices, I believe they are called, ran out of control. I assume it is difficult for you to move as of now." The girl spoke calmly, observing them with cool eyes._

_Something occurred to the two friends just then._

"_You can speak," Sumire said, eyes widening. _

_An amused smile lit the brunette's face. "Yes I can. I attacked you because you felt abnormal to me. And because I wish to test you. I apologize for my former hostility; the wolves and I are on our best behavior." She tilted her head to one said, smiling._

_Scowling a little, Sumire looked away. _

_Chuckling lightly, the girl spoke again. "I suppose the proper thing to do is to introduce myself after a rude greeting. My name is Mikan Sakura. The wolves are Ichiro, Hatsu, Katana, Kaede, Kaida, Airi, Sorano, Kumiko, Masaki, Shiro, Isamu, Cho, Sumi, Jin, and Tanpopo. We're pleased to make your acquaintance." The wolves had raised their head when their name was called, but Sumire and Nobara couldn't really distinguish them in the dark anyway. They returned the introduction respectively._

"…_Sumire Shouda."_

"_Nobara Ibaragi…"_

_Mikan smiled, but the mirth faded from her face rather quickly. The friends squirmed slightly; even though the brunette was being pleasant it didn't mean that she was their ally…yet? _

"_So. Sumire Shouda, Nobara Ibaragi. You are abnormalities, and so I will ask what you are doing in my forest."_

_The emerald-eyed girl bit back a retort, and glanced at Nobara, who offered a small smile. There wasn't much they could do now. They couldn't hide anymore._

"_We…we're—"_

"_Stop," The brunette said lightly, and the words halted out of surprise."That was enough. You have a reason, but I will not force it out of you. You are tired, and most likely hungry and thirsty. Rest. We will not harm you."_

_Blinking, the two watched as Mikan walked away, leaving the wolves with them._

"_This is…strange," Sumire whispered. The canines' ears flicked, but even if they understood human speech, Mikan had given her word that neither she nor her friends would harm them…and strangely, Sumire and Nobara believed her._

"_But we can't do anything, so we'll have to…stay with her?" Nobara said, the question occurring to her now. "…What are we going to do, now that we've escaped…?"_

"…_Anything we can to stay alive…we can't do anything but accept…her hospitality now…" _

_At this point, Mikan returned with two interestingly shaped shells, filled with water. The other two girls accepted them gratefully, sipping the cool water slowly as to not make themselves sick. They were handed two strips of dried meat each, to make sure that their stomachs could handle food okay. _

_Smiling, Mikan left again, returning with about four fish skewered on sticks. She put them near the fire to cook, and turned back to the girls. "Are you feeling any better?" She asked, and she received nods in reply. _

"…_Why did you help us?" Nobara asked somewhat boldly, and the brunette smiled. _

"_You are abnormalities, as I am. And, because you only retaliated when you were attacked. You are not hostile, but kind and incomplete."_

_The girls looked at each other, still thinking that she hadn't really answered the question, but they accepted it nonetheless._

"So after this, we spent a lot of time with her, seeing as we had nowhere else to go. She trained us to control our Alices better. And, like you saw on the first day, it became a greeting if we attacking each other without warning. It's quite fun, really. But since Mikan's so much stronger and has more experience, it was always me attacking first since I wasn't trained enough." Sumire smiled. "Nobara's not really much of a physical fighter, but she knows how to manipulate her Alice really well."

"It's flawed though," Nobara piped up, "My Alice is powerful, but it's tiring to maintain for too long. It's still possible for either of our Alices to go out of control if we push it past the limits."

"And?" Ruka asked, "When you guys met up again, you had been separated, right?"

The two girls looked at each other.

"We…were brought here first," the emerald-eyed girl told them. "To the Academy. After we had lived with Mikan for a while, she told us to come here. This place might be a hell for some people, but we can get permission to leave campus. And anyway, for people like us who have fucked up parents, this place is somewhat of a sanctuary."

Velvet Rose was startled at Sumire's swear. She had talked about her…'parents', but she had never really expressed her hatred for them. She had feared them. She had lived through a horrible time with them. So it was no surprise that she should hate them.

But if something had happened to them, if they had come crawling to her pleading for her help, saying they had made a mistake, telling her they loved her, she would not fall for their petty lies and deceit.

Because they had turned her into a monstrosity, and she would never forgive that. Her eyes showed that, and the tone in her words did as well.

"So we showed up at the gates. We got in. We travelled the world a little, because we needed to know more about the world, and we learned plenty about our Alices already. So we honed some skills. Took a few jobs to earn some money. Learned to live."

"And Sakura? Why did she only transfer recently?"

"Mikan likes the forest. She's lived without much civilization for years. It's all that she's known, since she doesn't really know who she is." Nobara said. "She…she stayed here for a very short period of time. She wasn't sure she liked it here. It was around this time she met Kurayami, and Kurayami freaked out so much that her Alice went out of control."

Hotaru's eyes flicked for a second. Everyone seemed capable of seeing the spirit. It was not some other power, or an Alice, that was letting them see the girl. But no one knew much about Kurayami. Did she 'freak out' because she thought no one could see her, or…?

"So Mikan went back to the forest for a while. We were allowed to visit her, to try to convince her to come. But Mikan does what she wants." Sumire laughed, shifting positions. She took a seat atop a desk, swinging her legs a little. "But I think after she discovered that she could steal other people's Alices, she agreed. Because when she visited the academy, she sort of…'absorbed' many of them without her knowledge. Not enough to use them, but enough to know what she could do."

"Stealing Alice…" Natsume murmured, speaking for the first time.

"She never did say what her original Alice was," Hotaru realized.

"Oh, the stealing Alice isn't her Original. It's her second."

Velvet Rose looked surprised, because most only had one Alice, and very, very rarely two.

"The nullification Alice is her first." Sumire told them.

"How many Alices does she have?" Hotaru asked, although it didn't sound like a question because of her monotonous tone.

"I'm not sure," Sumire confessed. "I've really only seen her use fire and ice. She doesn't want to overburden herself with all these Alices, so she probably only takes ones she needs. She sort of has a natural affinity with animals, so she doesn't need Nogi's Animal Pheromones. And she just doesn't work with machines, so Imai-san's Invention Alice would be useless to her."

She smiled at Ruka's surprised face at her knowledge of their Alices. "You're Velvet Rose," Nobara giggled as she reminded them quietly.

Of course. They were popular, and thus everyone knew the basics about them. They were forgetting themselves, forgetting their status when with these strange people…

Were they all friends now? So simply?

"Should you have told us about her Alices?" Hotaru questioned again, almost uncomfortable with the fact that they were letting their guards down.

"Mikan doesn't care if people know. If you asked directly, she'd tell you. But she'd complicated like that, so she just doesn't say anything. It's not a secret. She's not ashamed of her Alices." The green-eyed girl grinned. "Just like how she doesn't care about Luna Koizumi."

The three group members snorted, and Sumire and Nobara laughed.

"Anyway. It's getting late. We're gonna go visit Mikan and see if we can figure out where the wolves might have gone before we return to the dorms." Sumire said, jumping off the desk. Nobara also got up and followed her friend to the doorway. It was silent as they made their way to the exit, but the two turned to give one last warning.

"But remember," the green-eyed girl said seriously, partly out the door. She pointed at them somewhat dramatically. "Watch out. I don't know what's going on with Mikan, but Nobara and I have long decided we will always stand by her. You three like interesting things and you've taken an interest in us abnormalities. Your skills could help us a lot should you decide to immerse yourself in our situation, and Hyuuga can stop Mikan in beast mode. But know this." Sumire's eyes narrowed dangerously, producing a glare rivaling Hotaru's death glares. "If you want in, you're in. But then you'll _stay_ in. If you pull out just because it's not interesting anymore, don't think that we can't do anything to make your lives a living hell."

Even Nobara's eyes were icy cold, her kind, soft expressions nowhere to be seen in the hard lines of her face.

"Mikan's important to us," she said softly, "And we like you. But we don't trust easily. We told you our past because we want you to know who you're dealing with if you're considering taking part of this. It might be hard for us to talk about, but we don't have any issues with people knowing about it. You haven't broken down our walls yet. And we want to know whether we can allow those walls to be let down or not."

Velvet Rose stared at the two blankly.

"Truth to be told, we have no reason to help you," Hotaru said, starting at both of them in her usual stare. Ruka threw a sharp look at her, and even Natsume glanced at her, both of which she ignored as she continued to speak. "But we're not cowards, and we aren't backstabbers. We have not been completely consumed by your situations, and therefore we will stay on the edge for now." She smiled faintly, just the ghost of a more emotional expression haunting her lips. "We have no relation to you whatsoever. In fact, it is only because of our own curiosity that we so ignorantly involved ourselves."

There was a short pause as Hotaru crossed her legs and folded her arms.

"We will let fate run its course. Should it decide to pull us into yours, we will assist you. But for now, while we know nothing, we will stand by and watch you abnormalities. Because our ignorance and simple curiosity will not last in a serious situation such as yours."

Sumire and Nobara both smiled.

"We like you, Hotaru Imai," Sumire said. "And your intelligence. We gladly accept your decision. Very well. Let fate run its course."

And the two left, the sound of their shoes fading into the distance.

The classroom remained silent for a few moments after they left.

"…Shouldn't be have just helped them?" Ruka asked quietly.

"And haven't we already been involved in their situation?" said Natsume. _Haven't_ I_?_

Hotaru sighed. "I said so already. Ignorance and simply curiosity will not suffice in a situation such as theirs. Would you prefer we get them killed because they had to save us, simply because we decided to involve ourselves in a situation we don't understand? Or if we decided to back out because of fear, or human nature, because we could not handle what we got ourselves into?"

She turned to face her two members.

"We simply have no reason to commit ourselves to them. Yet. And we should not simply barge upon their lives merely because we find it interesting."

Hotaru's deep purple eyes were cold, and the two males listened to her seriously. It was rare Hotaru ever spoke this much. And this was, of sorts, a lecture, knowledge that she wanted them to understand and engrave into their brains, because she was taking the time to explain it to them.

She looked out the window, watching the wind rustle the treetops of the Northern Forest.

"…We aren't dealing with just humans," She said. "This goes beyond civility and human order. We are crossing the line into the wild." A pause. "Into the wolven territory."

She turned back to them and stood.

"Prepare yourselves," she told them without looking at them, crossing the room to the door. "Fate isn't kind. If we get involved, we won't slowly be easing ourselves into hot water."

She left, and Natsume and Ruka looked at each other, sighing deeply, running their hands through their hair, sinking lower into their seats.

"Females," they both agreed simultaneously, and got up to return to their dorms.

* * *

The wolves padded their way across the ground slowly, tongues hanging out of their mouths as Katana turned to the pack and tilted his head slightly towards a river. Many of the younger ones, with a spurt of energy, dashed towards the water and lapped it up thirstily. The elder ones walked over to it slowly, quenching their thirst as well.

Sometime later, they scented a herd of deer and brought some down, snapping at the meat to satisfy their hunger. Licking the blood from their lips, they lay down for a short break, ears flicking lazily.

"…Master will surely be upset," Masaki said, yawning. She looked around, and some of them seemed nervous. The older wolves flicked their ears slightly uneasily, but were otherwise calm.

"But we will explain this to her when we return," Kaede sighed. "Things will get messy, now that they have made their move…"

"And Master already knows that we know something about her past," Shiro said.

"So it's better that we tell her anyway." Kumiko agreed.

"…I don't like keeping secrets from Master…" Cho growled quietly, and Airi let out a whine to show that she didn't like it either.

Kaida raised her head to scent the air. "We should arrive soon…and then we'll confront Master…"

There was a thick silence, and the wolves glanced around at each other uneasily.

"We've already decided on this," Isamu growled, "We will not back out now."

"No one said we were going to," Sorano sniffed, "We have our pride, you know."

"But no one said it was going to be easy, either," Tanpopo added softly.

Another silence amongst them ensued while the birds chirped from above. Scavengers dropped from the sky to devour what was left of the wolves' meal.

They had only rested for a short about of time, but now the canines were too uneasy to just sit there leisurely.

"Let's go," Katana growled, and the pack of fifteen wolves rose, shook the dirt off of their fur, and leapt across the forest, closer and closer to their precious master.

* * *

"Silly children…Such naïve little puppies."

"There's no point in waiting like this. Can't we just like, move _now_?"

"Don't be so impatient…remember, we're starting war…"

"Yeah, and we've been prepared since like, we were in our mothers' wombs."

"Silence. You will get your share of blood soon, Jiro. Yukio's left again."

"Feh. Figures. Always him. Just like his name, 'gets what he wants'."

"They played us well last time. They're smarter than they look, I suppose. But this confusion needs to end. The Queen and King's pathetic rule ended years ago….but we'll use to Princess to create a new rule…"

"I can't believe it took us this long to find her. She couldn't have hidden that well."

"Since we only found them recently she most certainly _did_ hide herself well. Or, was hidden by others. But it doesn't matter now."

"Can't Yukio hurry the hell up? He likes to play around too much."

"You've starting to pick up on human habits, Jiro. Be careful."

"Hah. You think I would forget myself? You're too wary, Kistuka. Stuuuupid. You think I could forget my nature?"

"There's no telling what you'll do, Jiro."

"Hmph. Fine then. Have it your way. As long as I get to kill my brother, I'll be satisfied."

"…the love for your family is heartwarming."

"Was that sarcasm I just heard? Don't forget yourself, Kitsuka. You're picking up on some human habits."

"You think I would forget my nature?"

"Damn you."

"No answer?"

"You're too prideful of your nature to ever forget it."

"Good job. Now then. Be patient. Listen to the song of war."

"Funny. It sounds a lot like screaming."

"Yes, Jiro. That is what we call music."

* * *

_The sound of war drums_

_Beat upon my soul as _

_The excitement vibrates in my blood;_

_The adrenaline reels with a sadistic smile_

_As lives are lost by my hands_

_In this confusion we have so created…_

_Howl to the moon. The show of war is about to begin.

* * *

_

~./End Chapter Eleven/.~

…_And that's all?

* * *

_

**Writer's End Notes: **I mixed all the dry ingredients together to make muffins when I realized I didn't have an egg. =/ I'm sad now.


	12. Princess

Notes: Chapter twelve. I suck at updating. Apologizing doesn't even cover it, but I'm still sorry. D:

Also, I make way too many short-term OCs for the sake of drama in one fic. =/ I can't even keep track of all the wolves. Definitely should've made her pack smaller...Ah well...x_e

There's the mention of 'Drappa' and 'Dragga' later, and they're basically another word for lead male and female. Dragga being for male, Drappa for female. If you've ever read _The Sight_ or _Fell_ by Davic Clement-Davies, you know what I'm talking about. :D Not sure if those are actual words, but in his book it's how the wolves refer to their two dominant leaders, so yeah…

I don't own that either. O:

* * *

_-/MyLadyWolf/-

* * *

_

"MURDERER! WHY DO YOU WISH FOR THIS?"

"HOW DARE YOU? JIRO, YOU TRAITOR!"

Jiro let out a snarl, his lips curling back to reveal his sharp incisors stained with blood.

"Traitor?" He snarled, "You call me a traitor when you have nearly forgotten who you are?"

"We have done _nothing _wrong! It is _you_ who is disillusioned, as well as Kitsuka!"

"Just because you have done nothing wrong in your eyes does not make it right for the rest of the world," said a silky voice. The group turned slightly to see a beautiful she-wolf appearing behind Jiro. Her snowy-gray coat was contrasted against Jiro's sleek black fur as they stood side by side, Kitsuka in a relaxed position while her partner was prickling with intentions to attack. "You are wolves, yet you think yourselves humans. You are lucky you did not fall for a human male. No matter how human you make yourself you will always be lupine."

"We are advancing, Kitsuka," said one of the opposing she-wolves, a somewhat desperate look in her golden eyes. "Why can't you understand? Why do you think animals were granted Alices?"

"I can assure you, Miyu. Your Alice will not last. Animals were never meant to have such humanlike qualities. Perhaps one of our kind had been experimented on and passed along parts of his abilities. But it will disappear in due time, and you will return to your wolf-self. And what will you do then, when you have reverted to an animal amidst the humans? They will kill you before you can run. And they will exterminate us, or continue to experiment till we are lupines no longer."

The she-wolf backed away a step, eyes barely concealing a new pool of doubt and worry. If she was in human form, she would be biting her lip nervously.

"And your son, Ame? How will you raise him? He is newly borne, and he is human because you were in human form when you gave birth. Will you teach him to be a wolf? Will he even be able to change? He is a wolf. He is not something out of the myths—a werewolf or a shape-shifter. He is a wolf with an Alice. But he was borne human."

"I…I don't intend to raise him with human ways!"

Kitsuka smirked. "So how will you get him to transform? Babies cannot use their Alices. And you will crush the boy's existence when it is revealed to him that he is not human. Humans are emotional, afterall."

Ame reacted the same way her friend did, but she flattened her ears and let out a half-hearted growl.

"I will mate with my own kind, and continue to exist as a wolf, not as a human," Kistuka snarled. "Come, Jiro. Let these _ladies_ destroy their lives if they wish." She turned her back to walk away, but she gave one last glance to the two she-wolves with her cold blue eyes. "Wolves are brave creatures. But I can't say the same for you. Perhaps you are human, afterall."

She and Jiro stalked away, leaving Miyu and Ame standing silently in the dust. They looked at each other uneasily, and whimpered quietly, finally allowing themselves to sink into a submissive stance, although Kitsuka and Jiro were not there anymore to accept their loyalty.

* * *

She was drawing clocks in the dirt.

It was an unusual thing for Mikan to do, but this sorted out her thoughts somehow. But this also told her that she was running out of time, although she didn't know what she was running out of time for.

The first clock. Something that she didn't remember, the clock that contained the time from when she was born to when she arrived in the forest.

The second clock. Something precious to her, the clock that remembered the times she had bonded with her pack and became the Alpha.

The third clock. Something special, when she met Sumire and Nobara.

Fourth clock. When she came here.

Fifth clock. Now.

Sixth clock. The future that was to come, although she wasn't sure what was going to happen.

"Whoa. This is…different," She heard Sumire's voice say. The brunette stood, brushing the dirt off of her knees. She didn't turn to face her friends, but she waited until they came up next to her.

"…I'm not sure why I did this either," She confessed, tossing the stick she used aside. "Is something wrong?"

"Nah. We just came to visit. Thought you'd be lonely, with the wolves' absence and all." Sumire half-teased. "And…we just finished talking to Velvet Rose."

Mikan gave a small smile at Sumire's first comment, and merely nodded at the second. She looked up at the bright moon, contracted against the black veil of night.

_A beautiful gray wolf, with her newly born pups suckling her sweet milk. Blind eyes, deaf ears, and sensitive noses…an innocent picture of wilderness. Under the protection of a safe cave, the moon shining upon them. _

_The wail of a human child._

The brunette frowned, flinging her eyes back into the darkness of the woods again. If they were logical, then she would have automatically assumed that these were her lost memories returning to her. But what did these images mean? It was simply impossible for her to be born from a wolf. And surely she could not remember things from when she was a baby.

"Say…" She began slowly, her voice a whisper. "If I…turned out to be something monstrous…would you still stay with me?"

There was a silence, and a cold shiver of fear ran down Mikan's spine. She was glad that is was dark so that they couldn't see the horror on her face. She had lived as a wolf, and while they were not fearless she had lived relatively fearlessly as she led her pack. She hated showing her weakness, the weakness that was the fear of herself.

"Why are you even asking that?" Sumire demanded, somewhat angrily.

"Yeah, Mikan-chan…don't you remember when we met?" Nobara said, her voice tinted with disbelief.

"I can't believe you," the emerald-eyed girl huffed. "We know something inside you is fighting to get out, Mikan. And I think I can at least sort of relate, because my Alice is animalistic. And you've _seen_ me physically turn into a grotesque creation."

"Don't just think that we're going to leave you after all you've done for us, and after all the time that we've spent together," Nobara added, actually sounding angry. The shy quiet Nobara who never raised her voice, unless the Ice Lady took over. But this was truly Nobara speaking from her own mind.

Mikan smiled, but clenched her fists. "Wolf pups have been recorded to leave their families to start their own as young as five months," she said.

Sumire rolled her eyes at this useless bit of information. "Mikan. You're human. I'm not sure how you became so affiliated with wolves that they consider you their alpha. But remember that you are human. And humans hold bonds and friendship longer and closer."

Humanity. Humanity was her nature. And it would do her good not to forget it. As much as she could act like a wolf, as much as she had command over wolves, she wasn't a wolf.

She smiled, taking a deep breath. "…Thank you. And…I'm sorry."

"You should be," the hybrid huffed again, crossing her arms. "Now get some sleep. You're being weird."

It was a sign of change.

* * *

"So, Kitsuka? What do you think?"

"Of what, Jiro?"

"You're just going to let those…puppies return to the Princess?"

The white-gray wolf didn't respond as she continued to climb the hill. She paused, looking at her surroundings from a higher vantage point before she turned to Jiro.

"They can guard her however they wish. If she regains her memories, all the better for us. Perhaps this can end without half our race extinct."

"…You know, Yukio and I both call her the Princess, but you've never once given her a title."

She glanced at him with her cool blue eyes. "Why should I? She is no princess to me. She's not even of our species."

Jiro stared at her with his brown eyes tinted with gold. He scrambled up beside her in a less graceful way, trying to see the view from her point of view. Although the 'rebels' didn't have a leader, Kitsuka often assumed the position. People followed her naturally, and her reasonings had nothing untrue in them.

"What of Kurayami?"

"Kurayami was a fool. We have no princesses in the wolven race. 'Princess' is a human title, and wolves are quite obviously not human. We travel in separate packs, ruled by our alpha and beta. Or rather, Drappa and Dragga."

Smiling wryly, he watched as his partner padded down the hill. He followed after, letting a deep barking chuckle escape from his throat.

"You really are prideful, Kitsuka. Do you hate your Alice? Pity, since even in human from you're beautiful."

"I have no need for an Alice that draws me closer to something that I have no interest in getting involved in. The other _wolves_ are simply brainless hares. I am _deeply_ angry, Jiro. They wish to be human, and the never will be."

Her voice was an icy hiss, ears flattening in hostility although there was no physical enemy. The black wolf flinched a bit at her fury, but he was used to it because he was on the same side. Wolves playing human—he was a 'rebel' because he disliked the idea. The last meeting of wolves consisted of a large gathering of the lupines, the alphas bending their pride long enough to listen to the leaders of the 'rebellion'. There had been a longer ruling body that operated the same way; the Queen and King had ruled the largest 'pack' there was for a short period of time before they were killed.

It was inevitable that this humanlike government would be ripped apart—it was a wolven nature, something pups learned when they were old enough to stop suckling. It was utter idiocy that they could bend the commands of nature without bending their entire beings.

Kitsuka let out a growl, stopping short and turning her head quickly. The scent of meat only reached Jiro's nose before the blue-eyed wolf was gone, stealthily stalking her prey before bringing it down with a snap of her teeth around its neck. It was a small deer without an abundance of meat, but it was perfect for the two of them. They finished the animal quickly, snapping at the red flesh. They had only eaten some small rodents previous to their trip, and now their hunger was fully satisfied.

Licking the blood off of her muzzle, Kitsuka yawned. Jiro, though an exceptionally skilled hunter himself, allowed himself some amazement at the female's abilities.

After a short moment of rest, the lighter wolf glanced at him, noting the admiration in his eyes, and signaled for them to move on.

Pride.

She had her pride as a lupine. She had her pride in her beauty. She had her pride in her skills. She had pride and confidence in this 'rebel' group she was leading. But with the pride of leadership came the crushing burden of pressure. She shouldered it well, all her responsibilities. But she would not forget the fact that if this failed, if she led the group into the wrong place, she would not be the only one to pay for her actions.

* * *

"…Don't you think this is…too easy?" Airi whispered, glancing at her surroundings as she ran through the forest with her pack members.

"…You don't think they've already taken her, do you?" Sorano added nervously. Katana let out a low growl, though not directed at blue-tinted wolf, who flinched.

"No…they'd make a show out of it if they did…"

"Besides, we're nearly back. Hurry it up! Just a few more hours." Kaede barked.

"We shouldn't have attended the meeting…Or at least, only a few of us should have gone…" Tanpopo whimpered. "This was too dangerous, even if the elders called…"

"We left them in the hands of those were are capable," Jin said, "Sumire and Nobara will protect her. Besides, we needed to be there as representatives."

"Although, I'll agree that it was a bad idea," Masaki commented, turning her head to look at Tanpopo. "They're getting a little too caught up in this. I think they're starting to lose sight of what's important."

"…Human. They're becoming very humanistic." Shiro growled softly.

"Corruption follows power," Sumi agreed. "And even the elders are beginning to lose sight. Corruption is breaking out within our own faction. And soon there will be a war, whether it is wanted or not."

All of the wolves' eyes narrowed slightly, in silent agreement. Only few of the elders believed in retaining their natural nature anymore. The purpose of the war had surely shifted. Now, it was not even a question of Mikan. It was a battle between those who believed that wolves should remain wolves and nothing else (regarded as the rebels, but were they truly rebels?) and the wolves that had transformation Alices, or wanted them, to revert into a human life, advancing out of the call of Nature.

Travelling in silence, they could soon see the academy in the distance.

"…Are you ready?" Isamu growled as they all slowed down, stopping for a short moment. His pack members merely looked at him in mutual confirmation, and they gently padded into the forest.

Mikan was outside, looking up at the stars. She had gone inside at Sumire's suggestion of sleep, but after a while she went back outside. Something told her that she should be outside, and without turning around she knew that her intuition, or instinct, was right.

"You've returned," she stated obviously. "Did you have a safe trip?"

_Yes, Master, _They growled in reply, although the actual words did not leave their lips because they were in human form.

"So?" The brunette said, turning to face them. "What have you prepared to tell me?"

Unsurprised, the wolves blinked and reverted into human form. Beautifully wild in the moonlight, Mikan was unfazed by their nudity for she had spent her life similarly when she had been living with them in their previous forest-home. Besides, such things had no effect on her anyway.

She waited patiently for their response, her honey-brown hair illuminated with a silvery white by the moon, body silhouetted against the brightness. In a single swift, graceful movement, all fifteen of the pack sank to one knee.

"Princess," they chorused, voices a somewhat dark and somber melody. "War is brewing. And you will have great influence upon this conflict. You were never a wolf, you were always human, but we still respect you."

Mikan listened silently, her own face solemn. She loved the wolves, she truly did. And as much status she had somehow attained as the Alpha, she would never truly be a lupine. But she knew this. Although it was saddening, it was expected.

"Go on," she said.

There was a silence, as the wolves looked at something behind their master. A slight breeze of cold air made Mikan turn, the beautiful transparent figure of Kurayami behind her. A serious and sorrowful expression was etched into her face, her hands gently clasped together.

She opened her mouth, and it surprised the wolves and the brunette to hear the woman speak. It was soft, barely audible, yet a voice nonetheless. It was the fade of a sweet song. But as the group got over the shock to hear the ghost speak, Mikan was blatantly and utterly stunned with the words that came out of Kuraymai's mouth.

"My dearest sister…"

* * *

~./End Chapter Twelve/.~

…_And that's all?

* * *

_

**End Notes: **Meh, well, some of you guessed that already. I'm so predictable orz. Anyway, I get the feelings that this is lacking in fluffy romance, so this might end up being more of a…I dunno. Not fluffy cute kissing sort of romance. D:

OTL.

2AM, woo. Lack of editing, but I can fix that later.


	13. Rebel

**Notes:** I have no excuses as to why this is taking so long. :S I'll be trying to finish this first, so Love is Just Plain Hell will be on a little bit of a hiatus, I suppose. As if it isn't already. D:

So Mikan's past gets revealed here…it felt wrong to change her parents' names, so I kept them, but I really do love them in the actual manga. :S

And I hate how many OCs I come up with for temporary/minor-ish use. I don't know what I was thinking, especially making the wolves so numerous. :S I'm sorry if it's annoying, because I'm personally slightly annoyed at myself for this. :SSSS

* * *

_-/MyLadyWolf/-_

* * *

Mikan stared at the apparition of Kurayami with shock in her eyes. She came closer, holding out her arms, tender love in her eyes. Gently, she engulfed the girl in an embrace, though the brunette could not actually feel the touch.

"My sister," Kurayami whispered. "My darling sister…"

It appeared to be tears running down her face, but the shadows of the drops were not physical.

"S-Sister?" It was so rare that Mikan stumbled over her words, but she did this time. After all, she did not remember anything but the wolves. She never had a human family—yet Kurayami was claiming that she was part of it.

"Yes," the spirit said, "Yes. Mikan. Mikan Sakura. My sister. Listen. I must tell you a story before my voice leaves me."

The wolves looked at her with cool eyes, mixed with both love and dislike. Kurayami looked at them sadly. "I know," she whispered. "I know. A boy with the spirit Alice is lending me a voice for a short period of time."

The wolves turned their heads away, and allowed the spirit to talk.

"Listen to me, Mikan. I don't have much time. Our mother's name is Azumi Yuka—she was married to Izumi Yukihara. Do you know them?"

Hesitating, the brunette answered slowly. "They…they're…they were famous stars."

Kurayami nodded. "They met young, but they loved each other. They honestly did. But they made a mistake—Yuka became pregnant just as her career was heightening. She…she couldn't let the media…or anyone, find out. She was afraid to tell Yukihara, and…he...he died…before she could work up the courage. And…and she left you in the forest. She birthed you in secret and hid you in secret. I think she intended to come back for you quickly, but you were gone in moments and she thought she lost you forever."

Mikan's expression was unreadable.

"Years later, she had me, her second daughter. She often used to tell me stories about a horrible woman who abandoned her baby in the forest, teaching me to never be like the woman in her story…and it was only much, much later…after I become like this, that I found out she was talking about you."

"And how did you become like that?" asked the wolf-girl, with a flat quality to her voice. She was unsure of how to feel, and decided to question her newly found sister on her own situation instead. The notion of having a family member was still...unreal to her, it was too sudden.

And it made her uncomfortable.

Kurayami shifted awkwardly, also uncomfortable at Mikan's question, looking at the wolves who did not meet her gaze. She would have let the silence drag on if she was not limited on time.

"I…I made a mistake. When our mother was doing a photoshoot near the area where she left you—the forest that the woman in the story left her baby—I decided to explore. I went with her because we were on vacation, but a job suddenly came up and she couldn't refuse. And…I saw wolves. They were so beautiful…and I was captured. Since we were in the area for a while, I visited there as often as I could."

She took a breath, it seemed, although it was unnecessary. The wolves were shuffling somewhat uneasily at this point.

"And then there was one wolf who transformed into a human. I was captured immediately. It was stupid, but I wasn't scared. It was surely an Alice, although the reason why an animal might have an Alice did not occur to me. My own Alice was—is—the time Alice, although when I was alive it was on a very minimal scale. I did not awake its potential. Anyway, I was careless. I fell in love, and…"

Mikan looked up at her sister. "And he killed you, did he not?"

"Yes...and regarding that clearing...the ice, it was our mother's...you inherited both hers and father's Alices; she gave me an Alice stone for protection, and when I...died...it created that space. But Mikan!" the spirit looked frantic for a moment."_He_ is one of your opposing forces. And he's coming for you, dear sister, and he must not acquire you!"

A pause, and then:

"Why am I so important?"

"Long ago," Katana cut in, "the wolves tried human reign. There was the Queen and the King, they were wolves with the transformation Alice who tried to calm the wolves' bloodlust. It worked, for a very short amount of time. It was very difficult, but it managed to work but on very delicate strings."

"And you, master, are that Queen's 'daughter'," Kaede said. "When you were abandoned, you were found by the Queen. She weaned you on her milk, and she took care of you as if you were her own pup. And that is where your wolven command comes from, as well as your animalistic instincts."

"…Me, a human? Why did she not let me die?"

She looked at them coolly, although the question was not out of place. There was had been no reason for her to live, no reason for the she-wolf to take her in and raise her as one of its own.

"We do not know. Perhaps it was sentimentality. You were just as young as her newly borne pups, master."

"…You do not need to refer to me as so," the brunette sighed. "You may call me Mikan. Did you stay with me by that Queen's orders?"

"I took you away when war began to brew," Katana said. "I was not commanded to stay by you. But I did, and others began to congregate as well."

"We follow you of our own will, Master," Airi said. "We are your pack."

Smiling wryly, their alpha turned away. "Are you a pack, if I'm not a wolf?"

The canines blinked at her, startled by her sense of mistrust...or whatever it was in her voice. But she shook her head.

"But no matter. I've lead you and you've followed, so that is all that matters for now. And, Kurayami, what is it that you seek?"

"My dear sister," the spirit insisted, "Please, be careful. Yukio came that day I froze the forest and disappeared for a while as a result—he's planning to take you, Mikan, and you mustn't let him!"

"He and the rest of them wish to end humanistic reign," Kaede said, "Your name is famous amongst the wolves, and he wishes to put a stop to this by killing you."

"At least, not before you makes use of you," Sorano muttered.

Mikan blinked, and probed him to explain.

"You have the stealing Alice—he wishes for you to take the Alices of the wolves who have them and then kill you, putting an end to humanistic reign and wolves with Alices."

"We've learned that our Alices aren't natural," Tanpopo whispered, a little fearfully, "and therefore they will disappear sometime in the future. But no one knows how long they will last, so he wants this to end as quickly as possible before the wolven race becomes too comfortable…"

"And some already are," Masaki growled.

"So…what is your opinion on this rebel force?" the brunette asked bluntly. The wolves blinked again, but it wasn't unusual that she should question them because she knew them.

"They are not a rebel force in our eyes," Shiro sighed.

"In fact, we agree with their ideas. But no matter what, we cannot let them kill you, Master," Jin said, shaking his head.

"Beware," Kurayami interrupted, apparition flickering. "Yukio—something is…something is unnatural—Yukio always gets his way, and he won't stop until he…gets…it…!"

Her voice trailed off, and they could see her lips moving, but they could not hear her. She sighed, and shook her head, disappearing into the night.

After a moment of pause, Mikan turned her full attention back to the wolves. "So I'm the important pawn in this game, am I?"

They shrugged. "Essentially."

She gave an expression halfway between a smirk and a smile. "Well. I will not run nor hide. Should they come for me, I will follow my own will."

Some of the wolves cocked their heads, and she glanced at them before smiling.

"I trust that you'll not let them take me, of course. But a confrontation of some sort is in order, is it not? And I will not deny them confrontation."

"You…have decided what you will do, master?" Airi asked, slightly surprised.

The brunette looked at her, deciding that it would take a while for them to break out of the mold of calling her 'master', if at all.

"I have decided what I shall do for them, yes. But you, all fifteen of you, must make your own choice when the time comes."

"Master, you know that—" Ichiro began, before being cut off.

"Yes. I know that you will follow whatever I say. But no longer concerns me only; it concerns you as well, as wolves. So make your choice when the time comes, and not hastily merely because you are used to following the commands of an alpha."

The pack blinked, but bowed their heads loyally. Mikan smiled. She looked at the sky, and then back at the wolves.

"Now then," she said, changing topics, "tell me about my sister."

They stiffened, but the older ones met her glance coolly. "What do you wish to know?" Kaede asked gently.

"Anything that you will tell me."

"…"

There was a silence.

"We're not particularly fond of her," Katana said. "Or, some of us aren't."

Mikan raised an eyebrow, not at all offended, merely curious. The fact that she suddenly had a sister was not sinking in to her just yet; but then again, that sister was technically dead.

"It was she who…started this war, if I may be so bold as to declare so. Definitely at the fault of Yukio as well—he never should have shown himself in human form—but she, as the first victim, instated war."

"…You are blaming her for falling in love?" the brunette asked, a tone of incredulity in her voice.

Shiro raised his head and met his master's gaze. "She did more than fall in love, master. She meddled."

"…Go on."

"None of us are sure of Yukio's feelings when it came to her. But they spent a lot of time together after that. Many of the wolves considered Kurayami a 'princess'—she was their help, their support into traversing into the human world through their Alices. She immersed herself into the wolven world, even without Yukio. She taught the wolves how to act human; she taught them human traits, habits, how to walk, manners of speaking, general courtesy—everything needed to pass as a human. Many thought it a blessing. I do not even think Yukio thought it would come to this extent himself."

"We attended a wolven meeting, it you may call it that," Kaida added, "When we disappeared. We haven't particularly..._chosen_ a side, but many believe that because we defend you and have Alices, we support the human cause. Many were overjoyed when we said that Kurayami was...spiritually attached to the world. The Elder is in a difficult position...he merely wishes to protect you, Mikan, as the princess, but he will eventually be seen as a rebel. 'Act like a human as much as you wish, but never forget that you are a wolf' were his words. He may or may not have liked Kurayami's meddling, but he liked her as a person. For now, he is the mediator, but that will not last long."

"And Yukio is a strange character, like Kurayami said," Masaki cut in, "He's considered part of the rebel group, but it seems as if he merely stays with them, and another runs the actual 'rebelling'. No one is sure of his motives."

"It's possible that the group he hangs with doesn't fully trust him," Tanpopo suggested quietly.

Mikan listened quietly, and then nodded shortly.

"We must keep our eyes open, then," She said.

Without another word, she simply walked back to her house in the forest and left the pack alone in the night.

* * *

_Bright sunlight._

_She could see while the others were still blind—her limbs were unnaturally strange. It bothered her, that she was so different from her brothers and sisters, but her mother treated her the same and her siblings were still too blind to make fun of her. _

_The noises, too; the noises she emitted were less like the lupine whimpers—she wasn't sure, but her own whimpers were…different, somehow. It was difficult to communicate for a period of time, but she learned._

_Her mother nudged her, and she batted at the dragga playfully, laughing._

_Her mother never smiled at her. _

_Years passed, and her brothers and sister developed beautifully. They were still young, but she, she was still…unnatural. Different. Her siblings shied away from her sometimes, because she could do things they couldn't and vice versa, but they all liked each other well enough. _

"_Mikan, darling."_

_She turned, brown curls bouncing as she did so. Her mother—changed only for her—strode toward her, silvery hair falling like a curtain of stars. _

"_Mother," she greeted formally, dropping a fistful of leaves. She had been playing by herself as she often did, but when her mother changed for her (she had never questioned how this was possible) and had private conversations, it was always when she was most happy. Occasionally, her father did so as well, when he was around. He was handsome, strong. But more often than not he was away, for reasons unknown to her. She did not question.  
_

"_It is time for the truth, Mikan my dear."_

_The young brunette blinked, and then turned and positioned herself formally. "Yes, mother."_

_She had always known she was different. It was too strange—it was much too strange for her to be structured like 'this' when her siblings were structured like 'that'. But she ignored it when her mother transformed into something like her, soothing her fears of not belonging despite her limbs. Now, that fear was prickling at her, but she would accept the truth readily, because she had never convinced herself she was a wolf; she had simply ignored it, and now she would face it._

"_You are human, Mikan dear."_

_The brunette blinked. Human? She had only heard about them—never seen them, since she was never allowed to wander far. She had accepted this limitation, because unlike her siblings she couldn't protect herself the way they did, although she was a formidable foe nonetheless. _

"_I…" she began confusedly, but then shut her mouth to let her mother continue._

"…_A human female left you in the woods one day. I had just borne my own pups, and took pity upon the crying child and suckled her as I did why my own pups. And here you are today, human, yet not quite so in regards to habits and skills."_

"_And you, mother?"_

"_Some humans have something called 'Alices'. They are varying abilities. I only have one because myself and many others were subject to experimentation, including your father. Ours is 'transformation'. But because it is unnatural it will fade with time as I grow older. Or perhaps it will spontaneously disappear, I do not know. But it will fade."_

"…_What now, mother? What do you expect me to do?"_

_There was a thick silence._

"_This Alice is a part of me temporarily, Mikan. But I have lived with it. And there are others—savage wolves who have no pack. I have tried to make them understand, dear, that humanity is not a threat unless we threaten them. There will always we those who hunt, and we shall always be enemies, but we should not strategize attacks. However, I believe some mistook me to become human, because I own this Alice. They corner me into teaching them human civilization. So I have, but now they speak of a human government. I am their Queen, darling, but this cannot happen any longer. I will not survive. And you must escape, my darling."_

"_What? B-But, mother…!"_

"_None of your siblings have my Alice. But a few amongst my pack do. They will take you far away, Mikan."_

"_But mother, you cannot think that I will—!"_

_She saw her siblings padding slowly towards her, pain in their eyes. They whimpered.  
_

_"Go, Nee-san!" they urged her. "Go! You must! Or they'll use you!"_

_Their mother looked sad, but continued from her daughter's words.  
_

"_Of course you will not, my dear…and that it is why I must force you. You may not have been my real child, but you were my precious child nontheless, Mikan. Go safely. And when you remember, please make the right choice. Wolves can never be human, and humans can never be wolves. We were given different limbs and different minds for a reason. Goodbye, my child. Go safely."_

_"NEE-SAN!"_

_She heard the growling fear of her siblings, but she wasn't sure why they were screaming for her...  
_

_Sharp pain, and all darkness._

_She woke in the middle of an unfamiliar forest and an unfamiliar wolf for a companion._

* * *

Mikan opened her eyes, aware that it was still dark out. She turned in her bed, contemplating her dream.

Or rather, her returning memories.

She knew what to do now. She had already known her course of action, but the returning words of her 'mother' now confirmed it.

She could sense there was war—there would surely be an entire outbreak of bloodshed. The wolf, the monster inside of her screamed for it.

But no. Mikan Sakura was not a wolf. She was human, despite her wolflike tendencies.

If the monster inside of her wanted to be let out, she might consent to it just this once. And then it would leave her, and she would be human once more.

The brunette sighed, turned again, and nestled into her bed to rest.

_I will become your enemy if it will be a means to stop this war appropriately. _

* * *

~./End Chapter Thirteen/.~

_…__And that's all?_


	14. Human and Hunter

**Writer's Notes:** Sorry about the lack of romance. :S

I did have something planned, but it was too cheesy and I took somewhat of a swerve in a different direction, so it didn't fit anymore. The romance is especially slow here, and I apologize. :S I tried dropping some subtle hints, but they were either much too hidden or they just didn't even classify as a romantic hint. :'D;; I'll probably change the rating, unless the scenes within this chapter classifies as romance. Hopefully it doesn't seem to forced or something…:S

Natsume's not going insane, by the way.

…This is a weird chapter nonetheless. :S

* * *

_-/MyLadyWolf/-_

* * *

_Beast._

_He hunts her in his dreams, he sees her weaving in and out through the trees and undulating sunlight. _

_He reaches out for her, she pounces on him._

"_You think you can stop me, once I'm set free?" she hisses maliciously, eyes flashing. Her eyes are wolven and strange, he's not sure what he's seeing but he sure as hell won't be overpowered. _

"_I've done it once," he counters, hissing back just as ferociously. She doesn't falter, grins with her face—the face that he was so strangely attracted to. _

"_You've done it once," she repeats, "And I haven't even greeted you properly yet. Utter stupidity, you think you can tame a wild animal?"_

"_How are you here?" he roars, pushing her back. She flips neatly, laughing. _

"_You drank her blood," she says sweetly, "It's a lingering effect. I don't know what she meant by it, but you know. Crazy things out there." She laughs again, and it hurts his ears. "Precious thing, aren't you? You don't want her to die, you stopped me because it hurt her. You came back so she wouldn't be alone, because she's not a wolf and neither are you—"_

_He throws fire, she dodges with the grace only an animal can have. _

"_Little kitten," she taunts, "is that why? Because you're both animals, but she's more animalistic than you and you can't bear to see the fact that she's so beautiful while you're so ugly, hiding behind the mask of a black cat?"_

"_Shut up."_

"_You're not a cat—cats are too independent for someone like you. You're a dog, you want to be wanted, you're prideful—but not nearly as prideful as a wolf; she's someone who you could never be, and that's why you want her, don't you?"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

_His fire incinerates the forest around them and she melts away, laughing, forever taunting, and it is her face burning and it is done by his hands._

_He screams, because she has tainted his dreams and there is no escape from the fire he has trapped himself in._

* * *

He woke up covered in sweat, eyes wild, shaking as he gripped his sheets and reached for something to let him know that he was solid.

He held the cold plastic of his alarm clock until he reverted back to sanity. Getting out of bed slowly, he threw himself into the shower, cranking the cold water. Shuddering as the water hit, he put a hand to his forehead, groaning. What the hell had that been?

Natsume had been seeing her in his dreams for a few days, each time merely spotting her weaving in and out of the forest, each time getting closer to her.

This time, he reached her, and she twisted his mind.

It was late…or desperately early, whichever one. He had a habit of not sleeping well, so despite the utter darkness at 3AM in the morning he took a walk. Shuffling around aimlessly, he went for the only place that he could possibly lose himself in—the forest.

H was displeased and confused—disoriented. He wasn't sure what was going on, what he should be doing. Imai had established that there were to do nothing, lest they had to do something.

It wasn't his place to interfere, but something told him that he had to—he had to stop her, and he had to be near her for that. He hunted her in his dreams, and she taunted him for his lack of power.

"_You think you can stop her?"_

He growled at himself, because it was by his own thoughts that she was in his head again. Sighing, he walked deeper into the darkness, not caring where he was going. Subconsciously, his feet brought him to her.

"What are you doing here?"

It was her voice, untainted, soft and calm. By the sickly moonlight, he could see that her hair was let down in gentle waves, eyes cool, slightly cold perhaps, but his were always burning so it balanced out fine. She held a red apple in her hands.

"…" he grunted, dismissing the question. She accepted this easily (it was rather obvious that he simply couldn't sleep, for whatever reason) and turned back to look at the night sky. He simply stood where he was, quietly observing the sky with her.

"It will begin soon," Mikan told him calmly.

"I know," he replied flatly. She looked at him curiously, and he moved closer tiredly, leaning against the boulder she was perched on.

"…" he hesitated at first, because he was a person of short words, and there was not really a logical explanation as to what was going on inside his mind. "I hunt you in my dreams," he told her, "And I was the one hunted instead."

The brunette seemed to accept this explanation; she seemed to understand what he was talking about even though he wasn't sure himself.

"…She's the monster inside me. She's the one you stopped when she scented blood."

Natsume grunted in reply, acknowledging her own response.

"I see her more often, because she's a part of me. Since the…incident at the clearing, she seems to gained a physical from inside my dreams. She…runs through my blood, like a spirit dances across water."

He stayed quiet, but it made sense to him now, why he saw her inside his dreams—she had him drink his blood that night during the full moon, for whatever reason. But until it finished running its course she would taunt him while he slept.

There was a companionable silence as the two watched the moon, a bright slice of light in the midst of cloudy darkness.

"What do you plan to do?" Natsume questioned, sighing tiredly. Now that he was calmer—and beside Mikan, who gave off her own collected aura—he was beginning to feel more relaxed. He closed his eyes, his mind less like a broken program swirling around words without making sense.

She didn't respond, but handed the uneaten apple to him. Blinking, he took it and bit into the fruit, the crunching loud in the silence of the forest.

"This is all wrong. Desperately wrong."

"…"

"I wondered who I was for a long time. And as it turns out…"

There was a long silence.

"...And as it turns out…?" The fire-caster probed.

"As it turns out I am no one. A child who used to be and was later laid between two worlds that should never intermix. I was a child between humanity and wilderness. But I am human. And so I should remove myself from a world I do not belong."

It would be stupid of him to deny that. It had already been strange that she commanded such a large pack of wolves, everything about her was unnatural when it came to her and the lupines.

"You understand what I mean, do you not?" She asked quietly, turning to look at him. Her eyes were cold; it was a coldness that was not directed at him, but a coldness that was hard and determined.

Wordlessly, he handed her back the half eaten apple, which she took a bite of, sighing as the sweet juice spread over her tongue.

"This is all wrong." She said again.

"But you intend to fix it."

"I do. And it will still be wrong. Nothing is ever right when it comes to humanity. Have you ever wondered how is it that animals can maintain such order, such basic codes of justice?"

Indeed Natsume had. "Humanity evolves from natural beasts, and then gains knowledge. They break away from natural order and complicate the basic rules of life. And so we dig our own graves."

She smiled. "Precisely. But Kurayami…my 'sister' meddled in wolven affairs. I wonder if she really can feel as if she is…family. We have been strange friends, but I do not believe that I can accept her as my blood-sister when I only know her as a friend. I never knew my blood mother." She paused, took another bite of the fruit. "She does not know what she has done. And I don't believe I can particularly forgive her for such a disturbance she has caused."

Mikan sighed, looking up at the moon again. It was pale, streaks of the silver light only coming down in small quantities.

"Is there…" Natsume began, somewhat awkwardly. She turned to face him, and he stared into her eyes. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She blinked, and slowly, leaned forward, touching her forehead to his.

"Do you believe you can do anything?" she asked. It was a cruel question, but what exactly _could_ he offer her, who had been twisted in between two worlds of such different laws?

But he smirked. "Anything that I can give you," he answered back vaguely. She laughed, a silvery, gentle laugh that was entirely human and nothing wolven. She jumped off of the rock, returning the apple into his hands once more.

"Then come for me," she said, walking deeper into the depths of the forest, "Come for me when I call."

She left him standing with the half-eaten apple—half-indulged temptation—in his hands.

* * *

He breathed in the damp air, nose twitching at the insects that dared to fly near. Letting out a quiet breath, he sat almost like a tamed dog waiting for its master. The sun was just barely rising, the morning air slightly chilly. But it wasn't like it mattered-his wolven coat kept him warm.

They others hadn't scented him yet; he thought it was rather amusing that they were so intent on playing guard yet didn't even notice him. It was both a good thing and a disappointing one; he had hid and positioned himself well, but that meant that the other were basic an mundane.

Yukio was extremely deep within the Northern forest, almost about a day and a half worth's of travel. Her wolves never thought they would need to patrol so far—they thought that if they stayed near her, than that would be enough. Of course, they were entirely wrong.

He yawned, bored. Kitsuka and Jiro would be waiting impatiently for him, but they didn't matter either. They only travelled and ate together. He wasn't even part of their 'group'; he was not particularly a rebel. He had an entirely different idea in mind, in which he would use the others and the upcoming war to turn the situation in his favor.

Yukio wanted dominance. Humans who always ruined their homes, killed their children for their coats, hung their heads on their walls—he wanted them gone. And so he joined with Kitsuka and Jiro, feigning the same goal as them, who simply wanted the return to wolven nature. No, it was impossible to kill every human in the world. And hunting them in their own habitats would simply prove to be disastrous for the wolves in the forest, so he would kill the ones with Alices. He would let the war take as many as they could, and he would kill the remaining ones himself.

And the princess, he would kill the princess last, she who believed herself to be one of them and was _raised_ as one of them, after he forced her to remove the transformation Alice that inhabited his body. And then he would kill himself, for even using the Alice, even if to his advantage.

He and many others had been subject to experiments. Captured years ago, pricked with needles, forced to swallow strangely colored liquids that were Alice stones in liquid form. The scientists had chosen the transformation Alice because it would bend human laws, it would bend the rift between humans and animals.

Of course, while a decent number survived, there were plenty who died in a way that was not something to be proud of by any means. Drugged, mutated, and either killed, driven to suicide, or simply ripped to pieces by the Alices rejecting their bodies.

And still, other much more cruel experiments continued. He remembered the scientists experimented on their own children even; they had been kept in the basement and he was often woken by their screams. Yukio felt something close to pity for them—it must have been the transformation Alice at work, giving him these human emotions, because he was a hunter and he never felt pity.

He wanted to kill every last creation that those twisted scientists had created—at least amongst his own kind. They didn't belong here, like this, pretending to be humans.

So in a sense, he and Kitsuka's morals could be considered similar. But while she wanted to live, he wanted to die.

Everything was simply wrong. This never should have happened, and now everything was messed up and the laws were simply _wrong wrong wrong_.

How in the world could they set this right? This war was a clash of three different opinions, but Yukio fought by himself.

_Humanity destroys everything. _

He heard a gentle snapping of a branch and turned.

Yukio in his wolven form met the girl with eyes the color of a deer's pelt.

* * *

_Natsume was back in the forest. _

_He looks around warily, waiting for her to jump him, strangle him, fight him and taunt him._

_But she's only sitting docilely on a rock, feet dipping into a pond. She's wearing a white dress, hair done up in pigtails, and he wonders if he is actually dreaming about her, the real her, until the girl looks up._

_Wolven eyes, black and gold.  
_

"_Back?" She asks sweetly, with a devilish smile._

"_I didn't expect for you to still be here," Natsume sighs warily, taking a seat. "Let me sleep, goddamnit."_

_She shrugs. "Go ahead. I'm not stopping you."_

_He glares at her, until he realizes that her words hold truth; she's not trying to fight him. She was merely sitting there._

"…" _He stars at her suspiciously, and her devilish smile drops, wolven eyes staring back with a fierce defiance. _

"_Haven't you noticed?" she asks pointedly._

"_Noticed what?"_

"_Well, quite obviously not," she mutters, shaking her head. She points to his lap, and he looks down to find a red apple. "I can't do anything to you this time," the chocolate-haired girl says, sniffing disdainfully. "She's managed to control everything. And now this will end, until she lets it run once more. And only once. Then, I will be gone forever."_

_He snorts. "And everything will be better."_

_She tilts her head to the side, and scoops at the clear water with one hand. It streams through her fingers, and she smiles and empty smile. "Perhaps. It was never be the same. I have always been a part of her, a part of her identity. Using me and thus effectively letting me go will be a partial loss to her identity. I wonder how that will change her, since I will not be there to witness it."_

_She gives another smile, and this time, it is tinted with a sort of twisted concern. _

"_Pity. She created me and now she will destroy me. And then she will be a boring, mundane human. But she was always a human, and who is to say that human life is boring and mundane?"_

_The girl was questioning herself; no, he wasn't sure what she was doing. Rambling, talking to herself perhaps. _

"_Anyway."_

_She points to the apple again. "You do know what apples symbolize don't you?"_

_He blinks at her, and she scowls at his stupidity. "Temptation. It symbolizes temptation. She gave you the apple, you accepted, you ate it, she ate it. And such a stupid exchange of feelings it was."_

_He blinks, the dots finally connecting together. Had she been waiting for him in the forest, had she known that he would come?_

_The girl snorts, crossing her arms. "Humans can be such boring creatures, and yet they are perhaps the most interesting."_

_There was a silence, and the girl in the white dress looks back down at the water. No reflection returned the image. _

"_Go." She says, eyes flashing suddenly as she looks up. "Leave."_

_Natsume raises an eyebrow and begins to contradict her words. "Aren't you the one who's been coming into _my _dream—"_

"_This will be the last time you ever see me, boy," she hisses. Clearly she doesn't hold any regret about that, and neither does he. "Goodbye."_

_Holding out a hand, she makes a motion as if she was twisting a key, and suddenly the space distorts and he is left in a golden field of wheat._

_All was peaceful._

* * *

"Oh? I'm surprised. How did you manage to sneak past your guard?"

"Am I not allowed to do as I please? I may be betraying their trust, but it is necessary in my opinion."

"Oh ho…"

"So, Yukio, I presume. Escort me to where the rebels are. I am unsure of your own motives but I do know that you intend me no harm for now."

He smirked.

"Brave, aren't you princess?"

"My sister—no, a human meddled in your affairs. It has left a very intricate mess. And so I will step into this war and set things right."

He raised an eyebrow.

"So take me," she said, reaching out an unwavering hand.

He gave a growling laugh. "Don't mind if I do," he responded.

And so the wolf bore the human into the beginnings of a wolven war.

* * *

~./End Chapter Fourteen/.~

…_And that's all?_

* * *

**Ending Notes: **Weird chapter is weird, idk. Sorry for the wait. :S


	15. Trust and Bait

**Writer's Notes (edit):** Hello everyone; I know it's been a while. But for those of you who haven't read my profile, I am no longer continuing this fic or Love is Just Plain Hell. Long story short, I started these when I was in middle school and my writing style has changed since then, not to mention it's been a while so I hardly remember what I had planned for these. In the case of MLW, I did figure out how I wanted to end it but I simply cannot bring myself to write it. I've lost all my interest in MLW and LiJPH. I am very sorry to everyone who enjoyed them. There is a very, very rare chance that this fic may be finished, because out of pure boredom I started adding to chapter 16 (which was a page and a half, sitting in my folder abandoned with months). If by any chance it does get finished, this fic will probably have one last chapter as its crappy conclusion. However, it is not definite, so I do not suggest waiting for it. I am really sorry to all my readers because this fic has quite a few reviews and people really seemed to enjoy it, but I cannot continue writing something that I've lost all interest in. But on the other hand, thank you, everyone, for reading. You are all amazing.

* * *

_-/MyLadyWolf/-_

* * *

They stared at her as she got off of his back, dropping her feet to the ground elegantly.

She brushed off the stray leaves and bits of residue from the woods off of her dress, slapping any bugs on her skin and brushing them off as well. As she did all this and stretched her arms, Kitsuka and Jiro stared at her, stunned looks on their faces. The black wolf stepped forward and morphed into his human form; he had deeply tanned skin and a crop of messy, curly black hair. Kitsuka remained as she was.

"You…came willingly?" Jiro questioned hesitantly, the first one to speak. He had a rough, strong voice.

"Of course," Mikan replied, starting into his dark eyes. "One doesn't simply get on the back of a wolf and ride him all this way like a horse by force, does he?"

The black wolf simply blinked in response. Yukio yawned and stretched as well, and Mikan turned to finally get a good look at him. As a wolf, he had a blue-gray coat; his coat was lighter than that of a normal gray wolf, but nowhere near as pure as Kitsuka's snowy fur. His intelligent blue eyes glittered as he smiled, his teeth gleaming.

"I was surprised as well," he said, also transforming. "You're reckless aren't you, Princess? The pups will be howling for you once they find out you're gone. And when they scour the entire forest and scent where both of us were, they'll assume that I kidnapped you."

The brunette shrugged. "And then they'll chase you down, and I'll explain."

"Why not explain before you leave so we can avoid an ever larger misunderstanding?" Jiro grumbled.

"Do you really think they'd let me go if I told them where I was going? Even as an 'Alpha', I'm only human and I can't run nearly as fast as a wolf. And even with a speed Alice, I'd be ruining my feet running this distance. They'd catch up to be as soon as I left and I'd never get here."

Finally, the white wolf stepped forward and joined the three of them as a human. Even Mikan had to be surprised at her immense beauty; she was fair, like a porcelain doll, with a well-angled face and long, pure-white hair that saved her decency with the way it fell. It seemed like she arranged it purposefully to serve that purpose. Her black and gold eyes blinked at the brunette, her voice a strong but musical tone.

"You will assist us in the rebellion, then." She said.

"Yes," Mikan replied. "I intend to put a stop to this stupid war."

Kitsuka's lips tugged into a smile, and she tilted her head, expecting an explanation from the human girl.

"I did a lot of thinking," Mikan said, "I felt like a wolf for a very long time, despite my human anatomy. I was surrounded by wolves the majority of my life. And I only recently remembered that I had been raised by one. Not to mention their Alices gave me a sense of humanity; I was human originally, anyway. And therefore there was a blurring of natural and human law. But I remembered what…my 'mother' wanted to do, and I understand what I am. I am human, and nothing else. Except an Alice," she added as an afterthought, for Alices weren't particularly normal humans, either. "But this goes beyond the use of an Alice. Animal Alices are always for communication and partway transformation. Never has anyone submitted themselves and thrown away their humanity to become the animal. It simply goes against natural law."

The white wolf smiled again, and turned her back to begin walking.

"Your presence shall prove useful." She said without stopping. "Come. We have no human accommodations here, but you should be at home since you have lived like a wolf for so long, despite your human anatomy, have you not?"

The brunette smiled and started to follow.

"That is correct."

* * *

As she had predicted, when none of the wolves had seen their Alpha by noon, they began to panic. They had searched around the entire campus in their wolf forms; several students screamed but everyone moved out of their way. It had caused quite a commotion, but Hotaru had sat in the classroom, calmly reading a book, although Ruka looked a little uneasy. Natsume's head was on the desk, his eyebrows furrowed as he attempted, and failed, to sleep.

"The hell is going on?" He muttered angrily, standing up and preparing to give hell.

The door slammed open and the two younger wolves barged in, leaping at the fire-caster without hesitation. Airi and Sorano each pinned half of him down. They growled, apparently saying something, but he couldn't understand them. Mid-growl, they morphed into humans, Airi moving her hand to his throat.

"Where is Master?" She hissed, baring her canines which she had not bothered to turn to normal. "Why did you not watch her? She trusted you and now she is gone!"

Natsume blinked, surprised at his news, and felt somewhat abandoned. "She…left?"

"Quite obviously, seeing as we cannot find her anywhere in the vicinity!" Sorano snarled, his fingernails digging deeper into the fire-caster's shoulder, "And _you_ should have been keeping an eye on her! We scented your scent near hers; it was not fresh; you were with her last night, weren't you? WHY DID YOU NOT STOP HER?"

Comprehension dawned on him, indeed he had only talked to her just last night, and she had apparently left just after that, but why…?

"SAY SOMETHING!" Airi growled, pulling back her lips, her eyes feral.

"Why did she leave?"

"WE DON'T KNOW, WE SCENTED YUKIO, WHY DID YOU NOT—"

"It is not our duty to interfere with what goes on in the wild," Hotaru cut in coldly. "You cannot blame him for what happened to your master. She's human and intelligent, and therefore she quite obviously left, most likely temporarily, of her own accord. She is your Alpha, not your cub."

The two wolves glared at her, and she stared back coolly.

"How do you know she wasn't kidnapped?" Sorano growled.

"I assumed that you would be able to tell and that would be the first thing out of your mouths. In addition, if she were kidnapped, you surely would not be dawdling around here, blaming Hyuuga for this _mistake of your own, _rather than searching for her and her kidnapper immediately, no?"

Ruka looked at his friend with faint admiration, and even Natsume had to appreciate the coolness she was handing the situation with. Then again, it was not she who was being pinned down by two wolves (although they were in human form at the moment, and _naked_, jeez, he was glad that classes were over and no one but Velvet Rose was here).

"Airi, Sorano, have you no _decency_?" Came a deep, masculine voice. "Can you not keep yourselves in line without Master scolding your every move? Get up and unhand him."

The door opened once more, and Katana walked in dressed in dark jeans and a plain t-shirt, his silver hair tied back in a small, messy ponytail. He glared at his two pack members.

"Are you deaf?" He growled, "Master never taught us to manhandle her friends, if I recall."

Sorano and Airi stiffened, morphing back into wolves and releasing Natsume as they did so. He sat himself back up, and looked at Katana.

"She left? Without warning?" He said, massaging his shoulder. Hotaru and Ruka glanced over at the older wolf, as well.

"Yes. And she quite obviously planned this, because none of us heard her and it's taking us a while to follow the trail of her scent. The rest of the pack keeps chasing her scent around in circles. You were apparently the last person to talk to her, as we scented you next to her near her usual boulder. We determined this because it was strong, but faded enough to say that it was hours before she left, presumably still nighttime. Airi and Sorano are lacking in manners, so they chased you down." Katana glared at the two, and they looked down, letting out soft whimpers that appeared to be apologies. His gray eyes slid back over to meet the crimson ones. "I believe I know the answer, but I shall ask anyway. Do you have any idea as to where she might have gone?"

He took a moment to ponder this, but in the end shook his head. "No."

But as the word left his lips, their conversation from the previous night came back to him. She had intended to put a stop to this war. Mikan had intended to end this mess that gotten out of hand, and Natsume knew exactly what she was going to do now. But was it his place to tell them, if she purposely snuck away from them? He hadn't expected her to take action so soon.

He could feel Hotaru and Ruka's gaze on him; he knew that they knew as well.

The door slid open once more, and this time Sumire and Nobara stepped in. The emerald-eyed girl had her arms crossed, and even Nobara looked confident and strong.

"There's no need for any of you to be so panicked. I assume she predicted this." Sumire said airily, and the younger wolves turned and growled at her. She pulled her lips back and growled as well; to Velvet Rose's surprise, Airi and Sorano jumped and stayed quiet, ears flattened.

"Mikan-chan recovered her memories." Nobara said. "I assume you know what this means. You can't pretend that you didn't know this was coming."

The three wolves stiffened, the two younger ones more than Katana.

"She expects you to find her. And she expects and demands your cooperation. You should've known. You let her escape. These three have nothing to do with it." Sumire's voice was hard, and she gestured to Velvet Rose. "I know that Katana knows, and so do the rest of the older wolves. Velvet Rose made a deal with us. They will not interfere and meddle as if this situation is a joke. And you all know this is far from a joke."

The two girls' faces were cold and serious. It was strange to see Nobara like this especially, without the Ice Lady taking over for her.

"Gather the pack," said the green-haired junior. "She should've talked, but she didn't. So we'll do it in her place." Glancing at the other three Alices, she inclined her head; they understood this to mean that they could come should they want to.

Natsume and Ruka glanced at Hotaru; after all, it was she who had made the agreement. She stood, her eyes giving nothing away.

Katana blinked, and sighed.

Sumire and Nobara led them back into the forest.

* * *

None of the rebels had expected the Princess to come along so willingly; they knew that she was not someone to take lightly, yet they had all assumed she would help the others who were like her beloved pack.

And despite her growing up with wolves, it was strange to see her perfectly at ease sitting in the midst of at least twenty or thirty wolves, some less friendly than others.

Mikan was currently making herself comfortable in the rebel headquarters; it was a rather spacious cave, although only Yukio, Kitsuka, and Jiro were here most of the time. The rest of them came and went, reporting their findings to Kitsuka, sometimes staying a few days to rest. It was too dangerous to gather at one place, so packs from multiple areas would come and exchange information. Mikan had arrived just as the packs were meeting; some snarled at her, their bodies poised for attack, but she was far too used to hostility from wolves. She simply sat there and stared them down.

On one occasion one wolf did actually fly at her, but as she did with Airi and Sorano, she let him sink his teeth into the soft flesh of her arm. She pulled him forward, their noses touching, and with a soft yet vicious voice, she told him to control himself.

He whimpered and let go.

The nullifier had blinked, and then glanced at Kitsuka, who was observing the situation calmly.

"I'll go clean my wound," Mikan said, and off she went to find a stream.

The leaders of the packs blinked, surprised, but the pure white wolf twitched her lips in something like a smile, and resumed speaking with the Alphas.

The princess had only been in their presence a few hours, but she had indeed made herself supremely comfortable. Although she would not say so out loud, the leader of the rebels was glad to have the girl on their side.

…

…

Mikan watched the blood from her arm slide off her skin as the stream washed it away, the little red slivers quickly disappearing down the stream. Her arm was numb, as the water was immensely cold, but it numbed the pain as well.

She stared at the teeth marks, remembering the first time she had ever lost control. It had luckily been in the forest, when she had first started forming her own pack; when she woke up in the forest, with only one wolf that had been Katana by her side, other had simply started to gather around her, knowing who she was. But they had tried to hunt together; Mikan had been utterly confused and disoriented, but it felt…natural to hunt like a wolf. It was fine at first, but as soon as Mikan began to regain her senses, realizing that she was sinking her entirely normal teeth into raw, bloody meat, she had vomited up everything in her stomach. She would get sick later anyway, she wasn't made to stomach raw meat.

Once she had emptied her stomach, however, and looked at the bloody carcass, she had lost control. She didn't remember what happened (she never really did,) but when she came to, the wolves were so frightened of her that they didn't come near for days.

Lost and confused once more, she merely sat there and shivered, completely scared, until they slowly started to trickle back and pressed their warm fur coats against her.

She sobbed, and it took time to learn exactly what was wrong with her and what was setting her off. It changed, eventually; she still had to eat (although she learned to cook her meat), and it was getting to be a pain that she was losing control every time she saw a little blood. The beast cut her some slack; as long as she was careful to keep her emotions in check when she was gutting a fish or taking portions of the wolves' hauls to cook, then she could manage to eat.

Although she had much preferred eating wild fruits since it was much less trouble; it felt something like a recovering addict (although her situation was nothing like it). The beast wanted to be let out; it was like a screaming child in the back of her brain, a wild animal clawing at the safe confines of her mind, but her body resisted, shaking, forcing herself to strengthen the bars to contain the beast. She succeeded, although not without some failures; but she had overall managed to control her…friend.

However, back at the school when Hyuuga had stopped her, Luna's attack had been so utterly uncalled for and unexpected that the beast retaliated. She had indeed been surprised when the fire-caster had managed to stop her, she had never been brought back to her senses by force before. But something about him calmed her…

Mikan's lips twitched into a smile at the thought, removing her hand from the water.

_Come for me, _she had said to him that night, _come to me when I call._

And he would. He would definitely come for her.

It wasn't some hopeless fantasy; she wasn't a romantic and an idealist; she was far from those two things. He knew her plan, and she knew that he was an important part in it.

She would put a stop to this war and leave a part of herself behind.

She raised her head to look at the sky; the sun was setting, and the wolves would be coming for her soon. She wondered if Sumire and Nobara would delay them; they knew her plan as well, or at least, they had a vague idea of what she would do to stop the war. She wouldn't let anyone stop her, and the wolves would have to understand. She knew that they wouldn't like it, but it was crucial that they understand her as she had understood them.

Mikan was sure that Sumire and Nobara would make sure of that, and she smiled. She was grateful for her friends. Her wolves were loyal companions and her friends as well, but they were wolves and she was human, however much they blurred those lines of distinction with Alices, it still did not change the fact that they were not the same. She could converse with Sumire and Nobara and have a mutual understanding that did not require words, yet with the wolves it could clearly lead to a misunderstanding. Her human friends would understand her intentions as the wolves would not.

…But she would lose them. She let a tear slide down her cheek, and was surprised at this. She had learned a lot, living like a wolf, living naturally. She had learned a lot about humans from an animalistic point of view.

Yet no matter how wolven she acted, it would not change the fact that she was human. Her 'mother'—the she-wolf, had set her in between the lines so that she could make her own choice, so that she could find the right answer for herself.

But although she had decided, although she was determined and knew what her role was, she could not stop the aching in her heart.

Mikan drew a shaky breath, and stood.

She had made her decision and it was not only for the packs in the forest she was doing this for, but her own pack, her own companions that had grown much too attached to her to consider her their Alpha.

She made her way back to the rebel's camp with a sorrowful sort of determination in her heart.

* * *

Gathered in the forest, the wolves made a semi-circle around Sumire and Nobara. The older ones, Katana, Kaede, Hatsu, Sumi, and Shiro, lined the front, while the younger ones sat behind them. Hotaru, Ruka, and Natsume stood to the side, far enough to separate the groups, but close enough to hear the conversations.

But there was a silence, as Sumire crossed her arms and stared at the wolves, who merely stared back. Nobara stood quietly, her eyes determined as well, holding a stack of what seemed to be sheets.

Finally, Airi and Sorano transformed into human. Yet it took longer than normal, and they winced once they took on human limbs. They blinked, but ignored it.

Slowly, the rest of the pack took on human forms as well, and Nobara handed out the sheets she was holding. Masaki let out a laugh, and tied the cloth around her naked body in a makeshift dress. The pack followed, each of their sheets tied in a different fashion to save their modesty.

"So?" Airi prompted, "What's the problem? Where is Master?"

"Mikan has gone to stop the war." Sumire replied bluntly, and the pink-tinted wolf yelped in surprise.

"WHAT? SHE—"

"She regained her memories," the emerald-eyed girl continued, as if she had not been interrupted, "And the time has come for you to understand who she really is and where she really belongs."

Sorano glared at her. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Mikan is human."

"So? We can transform into humans!" Airi snapped, crossing her arms.

"Do you know what you sound like?"

"What?"

"You sound like the wolves that have the same Alice who want to blend into human society. And if you truly examine that situation, you should see how clearly wrong that is. Your Alices aren't natural, and you're seeing symptoms already, like just now when it hurt to transform." Sumire told her, her voice darkening. "You can never be human. And Mikan can never be a wolf."

Her words were hard, and even the older ones flattened their ears. They had known this, yet hearing it said did not lessen the pain that there would forever be a wall between them and their beloved brunette.

"Well that doesn't matter, does it?" Airi growled, apparently ignoring the stinging words, "Master has been with us for years, and vice versa. It's doesn't matter that she's human and we're animals, because you can't deny the bonds we've formed!"

Sumire gave a sardonic sort of smile. "No, of course not. But you should also know the sides of the war, shouldn't you? The rebels and the wolves who want to be human, taught under the influence of Kurayami. You should know which side your master has taken, and you should know what this means."

Tanpopo blinked, and she said softly, "I know that Master will side with the rebels. Because since she was born, she was the line between Civil Law and Natural law. And the boundary between those should never be broken."

Masaki stared at the ground, and sighed. "I'm not really sure what she plans to do exactly, but…" she glanced at her pack, and then squirmed uncomfortably. "We…we're going to have to split, aren't we?"

"WHAT?" Airi and Sorano exploded, and Tanpopo and Cho jumped. "WE ARE _NOT_ LEAVING MASTER!"

The suddenly marched up to Sumire, who stared back at them coolly.

"What did you do?" Airi snarled, her eyes almost feral, grabbing the collar of the junior's uniform, "What did you say to her? She would never leave her pack, she's been our Alpha for years, regardless of the fact that she's human! And now, you say that we all suddenly need to cut ties? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Do you know why she's been your Alpha, and why you're forced into submission when she's angry or when she truly means a command?" asked Sumire, glaring at the pink-haired girl. She slapped her hands away, and fixed her collar. "Because just like you have a transformation Alice to turn into human, Mikan has one similar to it."

Airi blinked, but then she smiled. "So she can be a wolf like us, can't she? That makes it better!"

But anger flared in Sumire's eyes, and it was her turn to grab Airi, using one hand to grab her face. "You're as stupid as Luna," she snarled. "You remember what I am, don't you? I'm a monster, born from an experiment gone wrong. But what does that make you? You have an Alice when you shouldn't. That makes you an experiment as well, a successful one. But have you never thought about why Mikan reacts so strongly to blood? Why she acts like a monster?"

Airi tried her best to look threatening, but she trembled slightly. Sumire's Alice was animalistic, and therefore had a slight dominant effect.

Sorano growled and shot forward, but Nobara froze his legs in place, looking apologetic. The other wolves, fully aware of the importance of the situation, let the two be punished. They had always been the ones who were too reckless, too rash, and now they needed to realize.

Struggling, Airi finally sighed, and jerked her head, "no".

"It's because she harbors a monster inside herself," Sumire told her, eyes cold, "Because she's lived as a wolf for so long, it's like her split personality, that monster. Her transformation Alice doesn't work like yours does. Originally, it's for changing appearances like a copycat, for stealth, for disguises. But what she intends to do to stop the war is to let that monster free. And that monster is all that keeps you connected. That monster is what you have obeyed, what gives her those Alphalike qualities. But once she's set free, she's gone. And she will be like any other human. And there's no guarantee that you will still be able to tolerate her."

"Then she doesn't need to set it free," Sorano cut in, glaring at Sumire who finally let Airi go. "She can just let the war run its course, can't she?"

It was Nobara's turn to look enraged. "You don't understand anything," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "If the other side wins, then Mikan will be their queen, which she has no intention of doing. If she refuses, they'll kill her, because it's in their nature. Yet, even without a queen, there are plenty of wolves who will wreck havoc as humans. Can you imagine the panic that can cause, when the wall between humans and animals is broken? It'll be a constant war. Constant suffering. Your Alices are a result of experimentation."

Chastised, the two younger wolves shut their mouths, shrinking back.

"And besides," Sumire sighed, shifting her position, "There's something else that Mikan is stopping along with the wolven war."

"What do you mean?" Jiro asked, and the older girl's lips formed into a thin line.

"Haven't you wondered?" She asked, "How you have your Alices?"

"Didn't you just say they were a result of experimentation?" Masaki blinked confusedly. "Isn't that why?"

Nodding, the junior folded her arms almost nervously. "But haven't you thought about who performed the experiment, or where, or why? Those types of things?"

The pack took a moment to ponder this. To be truthful, none of them had thought why they had their Alices or where they came from. They had an Alice, and they would use it to protect their Master—Mikan.

Sumire gave them a wry smile. "Guess not," she chuckled softly. The wolves gave an apologetic array of laughs and smiles.

"Well," she continued, "I guess to be quick about it, who else do you know is a result of Alice experimentation? And the only one with an artificial Alice?"

The pack went dead still, blinked rapidly, and a few mouths dropped open. Even Velvet Rose's eyes widened.

"You're kidding…" Ruka gasped, recalling the past that she had told them. "You mean…_your parents_…?"

"That's what Mikan, Nobara, and I have gathered anyway. I mean, unless there's other crazy scientists out there who tried the same thing, my parents are the only ones who dared to tamper with Alices and actually use subjects to test them on. I was amongst their first subjects," she spat the last part bitterly, glaring at the ground. She glanced at Nobara with softer eyes. "And Nobara was too. We failed, but after we escaped Mikan helped us control ours. Some others weren't so lucky. But it's been a few years and it wouldn't be strange if they managed to get some successful results."

"We're not really sure how it passed around so much," Nobara continued, "But either way it looks like the artificial Alices can pass through breeding. So either the failed ones escaped, and if they never used their Alices purposely than it never should've triggered anything, they may have found mates and well, had cubs. Or the Shoudas could've let successful ones out for this purpose. A third speculation is that they had many more subjects than we thought and experimented on all of them and erased their memories, but that doesn't seem plausible so we're sticking with the first two."

"And so…this war…is also to get rid of your parents?" Hotaru questioned softly.

"They'll surely be there as doctors to their side, and to witness the fruits of their labor. But if they die, it's not my problem…we cut ties long ago." Sumire whispered, looking at the sky. "If not, we're bringing them back here, and they'll be dealt with by authorities. The school has their own way of dealing with criminals…"

"And?" Airi prompted, tilting her head to the side, "What are we supposed to do? Sit and wait?"

Sumire smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. You're supposed to go and assist Mikan. On one condition."

She looked at Nobara, who nodded. The two turned to Velvet Rose; Natsume nodded firmly, and Ruka turned to Hotaru. After a moment, she nodded as well.

"You bring us with you."

* * *

The night air was cool, and Mikan leaned against the opening of the cave, looking at the sky. She smiled.

"Do you have high hopes for how this war will end?" Kitsuka's musical voice said, as the woman walked towards her with a dead rabbit in hand.

"Yes," Mikan said determinedly. "I will put an end to this, no matter what it takes."

The white wolf smiled, and took her place on the other side of the cave.

"Your friends will be coming, won't they? Those others, as well. Is it wise for outsiders to be involved?"

The brunette chuckled. "It's never wise for outsiders to be involved, but they tend to be involved anyway. It will work itself out. I know Velvet Rose will not take part in the war. They will wait, and come if needed."

"So, what is it that you plan to do? How will you make your appearance?" Kitsuka asked, glancing at the depths of the cave. Jiro and Yukio were probably there, half-sleeping. Or if not Yukio, Jiro was. They never left the princess without a guard.

Mikan turned to face the white-haired woman and smiled.

"Just throw me out to the wolves, and we'll take it from there," she said serenely.

Outside, a chorus of wolf howls echoed through the air.

* * *

~./End Chapter Fifteen/.~

_...And that's all?_


End file.
